Alternative Energies_The future of streetlights (6 brillan new concepts)

8/8/2019 Alternative Energies_The future of streetlights (6 brillan new concepts)

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Alternative Energies

Simona Conti, Industrial Design for Digital Technologies, Design di Ambienti per la Comunicazione, A.A. 2009/10, Universit di Siena

The future of streetlights

6 brilliant new concepts


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The seagull streetlamp

Tokyo

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The seagull streetlamp

1 DESCRIZIONE:Like the Light Blossom, the Seagull is designed to be the

self-powering device. The main difference is that this one

already exists. Installed in Tokyo near the Panasonic

Center, this device is entirely off the grid.

MOTIVAZIONE:It has a solar panel and a rotating, vertical-axis wind

turbine. Energy gathered from the these renewable

sources is stored in batteries that power the lamp atnight. Unfortunately, solar and wind power have to be

large-scale and placed very carefully to be profitable, andlamp posts are intrinsically small and must be placed

where they're needed, not where the light is best, but

that doesn't mean that this isn't awesome.

It does, however, mean that no one is getting a return on

their investment. But sometimes things must be donepurely because they are beautiful, simple, and convey a

powerful message.

RIFERIMENTI:http://www.ecogeek.org/content/view/1328/

(look the video of the streetlamp functioning)


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The NYC led lamp

New York

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The NYC led lamp

2 DESCRIZIONE:Last year, New York Citys Department of Transportationcontracted with a company called Office of Visual

Interaction to produce new LED-based street lighting

radically different in form and function from existinglamps. The new light poles are sleeker and allow

beams of light to be directed in different directions meaning one lamp can illuminate both the sidewalk

and the roadway.

MOTIVAZIONE:

Though still currently under review, the program couldeventually result in the replacement of the citys entire

stock of 300,000 lamps and reduce their overall power

usage by 25-30 percent.

With their small size, low wattage, intensity, and

extremely long life of over 50,000 hours, LEDs arepreeminent as an energy efficient, minimal-

maintenance source.

RIFERIMENTI:Office for Visual Interaction

http://oviinc.com/profile/index.asp

Save

Energy


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The River-Powered Streetlight

Ballybofay

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The River-Powered Streetlight

3 DESCRIZIONE:In a city called Ballybofey in northwestern Ireland, cityengineers have installed a 3000 water-powered light

system.

MOTIVAZIONE:A 110 watt micro hydro-turbine will be placed under the

bridge after winter water levels drop a bit to make the

installation easier. As water moves through turbine, the

energy generated will charge batteries, which will then

power the 30 watt LED mounted above the bridge. The

turbine will actually power three such lights but the cautiousBallybofians are just going with the one for now.

The water light will be flanked by two solar powered lights

(already installed, also by LH Ecotech), and there'll be a solar

panel on the water light itself as a backup for summer

(when there's actually sun from time to time) and for when

water levels drop. 3000 for a single light? It sounds ratherexpensive but the cost to run it after installation won't be

much. After all, it's powered by water, something Ireland will

likely always have a fair amount of. We can imagine hydro

lights someday lighting many of the bridges of the world.

RIFERIMENTI:http://www.supereco.com/news/2009/02/13/ireland-installs-

water-powered-street-light/


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Dimming adaptive streetlights

San Jos (CA)

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Dimming adaptive streetlights

4 DESCRIZIONE:Its not sexy-looking, but in San Jose, California, in the heartof Silicon Valley, a municipal demonstration program

is outfitting 125 street lamps with LED bulbs that can be

dimmed based on established need. The idea challengesone of the basic tenets of how street lighting: that lampsshould burn at the same brightness all night long. For

instance, if properly programmed, lights could be increased

in luminosity in areas with known high pedestrian use but

decreased in places that see little pedestrian activity; some

lights will even include sensors to detect activity andactivate only when needed.

MOTIVAZIONE:These improvements are likely to allow the city to save 10

to 60% on street light energy use, so even though thebulbs, at $600 apiece, are more expensive than those they

replace, at $200 each, the city will eventually save moneyon the program as LEDs have much longer life spans .

Now cities, faced with tighter budgets, are looking for ways

to cut street-lighting costs and to reduce emissions from

power plants.

RIFERIMENTI:http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124035903357241327.html

SaveEnergy


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The Lunar-Resonantstreetlamp

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The Lunar-Resonant

streetlamp5

DESCRIZIONE:A design firm called Civil Twilight has developed a

concept called the lunar resonant street light, whichis designed to measure the strength of the

moonlight and adjust its brightness

correspondingly. The concept would fill in only thelight necessary, since on some nights the moon is so

bright that literally no street lights are necessary tonavigate sidewalks and roadways. On cloudy or

stormy nights, the lights would burn at full capacity.

MOTIVAZIONE:Overall, the program could vastly reduce the

amount of on time for street lights, and thereforereduce a citys electricity bill.

RIFERIMENTI:Civil Twilight

http://www.civiltwilightcollective.com/lunar1.htm

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The Light Blossom

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The Light Blossom

6 DESCRIZIONE:Dutch electronics giant Philips may have the mostambitious scheme when it comes to street lighting.

During the day, the concept lamps petals open to

reveal solar panels, while the head can rotate tofollow the sun. During gusty conditions, the petalscontract to a half-open position and turn into a rotating

wind turbine. Then, at night, the flower evolves intoa bud ready to light the surrounding streets.Unfortunately, Philips announced that ideas from the

concept wont be put into production for another 3 to 5

years - at the minimum.

MOTIVAZIONE:Its Light Blossom is designed to harness the sun and

wind with a moving lamp post that, like a flower,adapts to changing environmental conditions. At night,

its efficient LEDs beam light only where needed and

only when needed through proximity sensing.

RIFERIMENTI:VIDEO:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xPDhx6m7XP0

Article:

http://www.newscenter.philips.com/main/standard/ab

out/news/press/20081015_simplicity_event_light_blos

som.wpd

SaveEnergy


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Simona [email protected]

Industrial Design for DigitalTechnologies,

Design for CommunicationEnvironmentsA.A. 2009/10

Universit di Siena

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Alternative Energies_The future of streetlights (6 brillan new concepts)