"Switching from CityTouch to the new Interact City platform is very easy and intuitive"
The municipality of St. Imier has already been using the tried-and-tested City Touch lighting management system since 2017, thus taking on a pioneering role in Western Switzerland in terms of intelligent lighting control. Now, St. Imier is among the first to upgrade from CityTouch to the new Interact City system. In an interview, Cedric Sommer tells us - how he experienced the switch to Interact City and why St. Imier has already been intelligently controlling its street lighting for years.
Under discussion
Cedric Sommer
Head of Electricity Chef du service de l'électricité, Services Techniques Saint-Imier
How did you experience the startup and transition from CityTouch to Interact City?
Getting started with the new Interact City platform is very easy and intuitive.
How was the onboarding training with ELEKTRON?
The workshop, which unfortunately took place via video conference due to the current situation, was conducted very professionally. The explanations were clear and allowed me to quickly start working with the new platform. I got answers to all my questions. Already at the time of the introduction of the. City Touch" platform, the training was very much appreciated.
What do you think are the biggest advantages of Interact City in terms of lighting control?
As mentioned earlier, these include the flexibility to dim luminaires individually without having to schedule that dimming at the time the luminaires are ordered. The ability to change dimming from one day to the next is also a benefit of the system.
Discover Interact CityThe ability to switch the lights on and off according to the brightness measured by the photocell integrated in the lights is also a very welcome feature. We use it in areas where we don't have a switching system connected to our central remote control, such as remote areas on the mountains. Previously, we had to install separate photocell interlock systems. This system has also allowed us to respond to requests from citizens who felt disturbed in the middle of the night by the light from certain lights near their homes.
How does Interact City make your daily life easier?
I would say with dimming calendar and error messages.
Interact City now offers "user management". Are there plans to set up accounts for city management or maintenance staff?
Yes, this is an interesting feature that will certainly be used in the near future.
Anything else you would like to add?
We hope to be able to enjoy a system for a long time to come. We think it is scalable and also look forward to more, new features in the future. For example, integrating motion sensors, which would allow even more effective lighting control in areas where there is not much traffic for long periods of time. I'm thinking, for example, of industrial areas on weekends and holidays.
![Traffic-Dim [light]Altendorf[/light]](assets/images/8/CT%20Altendorf-b7482037.jpg)
