New Technology Transforms Lighting from Fixture to Foundation of Smart Cities

Amerlux, an award-winning design-and-manufacture lighting company, announced today the launch of a hi-tech, electrical receptacle for its Avista light engine that will turn humble light posts into the bold underpinnings of a smart city.

Amerlux’s 7-pin option, used in conjunction with its Avista pedestrian light engine, can transform any lamp post into a wireless communication device that can connect to larger municipal networks. Reminiscent of when phones became “smarter” with apps, Amerlux is designing products that leverage existing circuit boards in LEDs to become compatible with a variety of sensors that drastically change the utility of lighting.

“Our lighting solutions can collect data to allow city managers to make better, real-time decisions, delivering safer streets, cleaner neighborhoods and smarter cities,” said Amerlux CEO and President Chuck Campagna. “The 7-pin option underscores Amerlux’s tradition of innovation, which stems from listening to the marketplace.”

The Avista light engine is available in three options: standard without an electrical socket, 3-pin with a NEMA twist-lock electrical receptacle and the 7-pin with a NEMA socket and “extra” pins that add dimming capabilities and access to a world of cutting-edge sensors.

With Amerlux’s 7-pin option, for example, city managers would have more capabilities:

• Surveil criminal activity, including gunshot detection
• Monitor trash removal and street cleaning
• Count traffic to determine outcomes of project modifications
• Track air quality to protect residents
• Install Wi-Fi access points to improve communications
• Adjust lighting remotely to ensure output matches need

The manufacturer’s new guide—“Making Smart Cities Brilliant: How Amerlux Provides Beacon of Light for Tomorrow”—provides details about how cities are using similar technology, as well as new mega-cities that are ready to break ground.

In effect, streetlights can become the perfect foundation for smart cities because they provide the power and the pole, which create a physical platform for the sensors. With a small forward-thinking investment added onto a lighting upgrade, cities can lay the ground work for their future by purchasing lights with the 7-pin option.

Since LEDS last for 50,000-100,000 hours (10-20 years), it makes economic sense for municipalities to maximize future options with the 7-pin receptacle, even if a city isn’t ready for the full investment toward creating a smart city. This way, the city can use today’s wireless controls and the controls of tomorrow, which are still being developed.

Avista Saves L.A. and Portland More Than 60 Percent in Energy

American cities have already embraced Amerlux’s Avista light engine, which recently was granted U.S. patent protection for intellectual property incorporated into the game-changing product. Avista’s breakthrough IP66 sealed LED optical chamber prevents water intrusion, which is the No. 1 cause of light failure. In addition, Avista was designed for new construction applications and retrofits, which take less than 15 minutes per unit to install.

To date, the City of Los Angeles has upgraded more than 600 decorative streetlights with Avista LED light engines. Since the upgrade, the city has realized up to 75 percent reduction in lighting energy consumption and costs in the upgraded area, while visitors are benefiting from enhanced visibility and greater peace of mind. (Read the complete case study.)

For the City of Portland, Ore., the challenge was the shape of the globe and how to adapt LED technology to its exact specifications. Amerlux’s Avista addressed the challenge.

Since completing the installation of the bulk of its acorn fixtures in July 2017, the city has been delighted with the results. Portland went from 100-watt HPS to 42-watt LEDs, saving the city about 60 percent in energy consumption and costs. (Read the complete case study.)

Standard Avista light engines with the 7-pin option can ship in 10 days or less from the time they are ordered to quickly advance any new construction or retrofit project.

For more information about the company’s Avista light engine, visit Amerlux.com or call 973.850.4342.