Efficient pioneering work in Altendorf - here the light is controlled according to traffic volume
For the renovation of the street lighting along the busy "Zürcherstrasse" in Altendorf, a way was sought to reduce energy consumption to a maximum. In the dynamic, traffic-dependent TrafficDim lighting control system, the municipality found an ideal solution to reduce energy requirements even further while ensuring safety at all times. Altendorf began refurbishing to LED luminaires back in 2010 and is now one of the first Swiss municipalities to rely on traffic-dependent lighting control with TrafficDim. They take - then as now - a pioneering role in the field of efficient street lighting.
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The municipality of Altendorf (SZ) is in the midst of renovating its lighting infrastructure. Spread over ten years, the conventional street lights are being replaced by networked LED luminaires in several stages. At the same time, the luminaires will be controlled via the CityTouch lighting management system. The previous static control via ripple control will become obsolete.
On its way towards becoming an energy city, the municipality was looking for a solution to reduce the energy consumption of public lighting even further than is already possible with time-dependent lighting control using CityTouch. And it did so precisely where the most energy is consumed for lighting: on the busy cantonal road along Lake Zurich.
"From our side it is an imperative of the hour. Altendorf wants to become an energy town. This includes reducing the energy consumption of street lighting to a minimum. On the Zürcherstrasse, which runs from the Freienbach municipal border to the village crossroads, around 20 percent of the total energy of our street lighting infrastructure is consumed. Therefore, this main traffic axis offered the ideal conditions for the use of an innovative light control."
Erich Keller, municipal councillor for civil engineering and works in Altendorf
Networked DigiStreet luminaires and CityTouch as the basis
In close cooperation with Elektrizitätsversorgung Altendorf AG (EVA) and long-time partner ELEKTRON AG, the replacement of the sodium vapor lamps along Zürcherstrasse was planned. The basis is the use of networked luminaires and the light management system CityTouch.
EVA installed 60 networked DigiStreet luminaires, which come standard with two manufacturer-independent interfaces. Light controllers were attached to the top interface during installation to allow the luminaires to be controlled by time or traffic via CityTouch.
"Talking to ELEKTRON, we learned what other control options are available. It quickly became clear to us: If we switch now, we might as well go one step further. One reason why we recommended ELEKTRON's solution to the municipality was that it is an open system - even the luminaire interfaces are independent. That means you can always switch to another control unit if CityTouch wasn't 'our thing'. A lot of other control systems we've looked at are very dependent on the luminaires used."
Oliver Mächler, Division Manager Electricity Networks EVA
Even less light pollution with traffic-dependent lighting control - without "constant up and down".
Easy installation of TrafficDim hardware in less than two hours
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To further reduce light pollution and additionally save energy, the traffic-dependent lighting control TrafficDim was installed. Traffic-dependent means that the light is controlled according to the daily average values of the past three weeks. In this process, the data collected and analyzed on site is sent directly to CityTouch via an integrated LTE module and the lights are controlled automatically. TrafficDim was developed specifically for main roads and urban areas to dynamically control lighting without disturbing residents by changing light levels too much or too quickly.
"I was at SwissPublic in Bern and found out about different systems. For me, a decisive point for the use of TrafficDim was that ELEKTRON has the necessary know-how and a certain size. We have deliberately chosen this solution, because we do not want 'nervous lighting', no constant up and down."
Markus Weber, Head of Civil Engineering Altendorf
The light levels for different traffic volumes are set according to the applicable standards and specifications. This ensures safety on the roads at all times. Since sudden traffic volumes can occur due to events or special occurrences, traffic (DTV) is additionally measured in real time every 5-10 minutes at night and compared with the empirical value from the past. If the real-time value deviates significantly, it is automatically dimmed up or down.
The municipality of Altendorf began refurbishing to LED luminaires back in 2010 and is now one of the first Swiss municipalities to rely on traffic-dependent lighting control with TrafficDim. Altendorf is - then as now - a pioneer in the field of efficient street lighting.
"The timing for the implementation of traffic-dependent lighting is just right. Soon autumn will come and it will get dark earlier. Then it is all the more noticeable when the road is no longer unnecessarily illuminated."
Markus Weber, Head of Civil Engineering Office Altendorf
