Top 10 Lighting Challenges Our Customers Face and How We Solve Them
Ubicquia’s smart streetlight controller is designed to address the most pressing challenges cities see in streetlight management. As we have gained insight into our customers’ everyday concerns, UbiCell® has evolved to meet those needs.
Today, we’re taking a look at 10 of the biggest challenges customers have that they are able to resolve with UbiCell smart streetlight controller.
10. Storm Reporting and Data Collection
Storms can wreak havoc on lighting systems and streetlight outage detection is key. Knowing when and why fixtures go out is critical for quick resolution. Is it an area-wide outage or a specific pole that’s been impacted? UbiCell offers real-time monitoring and alerts, enabling customers to pinpoint outages and the root cause, whether it’s a power failure or a downed pole. This insight accelerates the repair process during critical weather events.
Further Reading: Use Intelligence to Improve Storm Response
9. Operational Savings
Traditional lighting systems often rely on photocells for activation, which can be inefficient. The photocells often won’t trigger off until complete darkness, about 30 minutes after sunset. UbiCell allows cities to set power schedules based on an astronomical clock, which saves energy consumption, reduces costs, and extends the lifespan of fixtures.
8. Maintenance Efficiency and Reduced Truck Rolls
Ubicquia cuts truck rolls by 60-70% with its remote diagnostics capabilities. UbiCell offers remote lighting diagnostics that can detect and diagnose remotely, allowing for a single truck roll to repair problems. This feature significantly reduces maintenance costs and improves operational efficiency.
Further Reading: No Need to Hire a Crew to Look for Outages
7. Pedestrian Safety and Glare Management
Lights that are too bright can cause glare, which creates a negative impact on safety. UbiCell is dark sky compliant lighting, meaning it allows fine-tuning of lighting levels based on placement, time of day, and surrounding environment. This capability reduces glare to enhance pedestrian, vehicle, and cyclist safety.
6. Controlling Light Pollution
Over-lighting can lead to light pollution, which can interfere with night sky visibility, impact wildlife, and even disrupt the health and wellbeing of residents. UbiCell’s control system allows for dynamic fine-tuning, including color temperature and lighting levels that factor in LED degradation over time.
Further Reading: Dark Sky Initiatives
5. Monitoring Downed Poles
Knowing when and where a pole has gone down is crucial for quick response and repair. UbiCell’s tilt alarm and “last gasp” notifications alert customers immediately when poles or fixtures are impacted and what their last known status was. This helps teams respond promptly and restore lighting infrastructure faster.
4. Copper Theft Detection
Copper theft is a common issue that can disrupt entire circuits. UbiVu detects multiple simultaneous lighting failures, which often indicate circuit issues or theft. This instant detection enables faster investigation and resolution, preventing prolonged outages and costly repairs.
Further Reading: What’s New in UbiCell UGU
3. Identifying Faulty Luminaires
Faulty luminaire wiring can cause abnormal failures. UbiCell monitors for these irregularities, enabling customers to identify fixtures that need replacement or repair before they fail completely. This proactive approach to municipal lighting maintenance minimizes disruption and keeps lighting systems functioning optimally.
2. Addressing Stray Lighting
Stray lighting occurs when fixtures don’t turn on due to bright nearby lights. UbiCell’s over-the-air (OTA) updates, paired with its astronomical time clock, allow users to manage individual fixtures in mixed mode. This ensures lights operate as intended, even when positioned near other bright sources.
1. Detecting Flickering Lights
Flickering LED lights often indicate low voltage or grounding issues. UbiCell’s voltage monitoring capabilities help identify areas where the infrastructure may need attention. By detecting voltage variations, UbiCell provides actionable data to resolve these issues quickly, preventing further damage and ensuring reliable lighting performance.
What’s your lighting challenge?
In over 800 deployments, we have seen pretty much every lighting challenge you can imagine. Give us a call and let us know what you’re seeking a solution for.
We help cities around the world create smarter, safer, more connected communities with intelligent light designed for modern challenges.
