The city council of Chattanooga, Tenn., has approved a contract proposal to replace existing municipal lights with high efficiency lighting fixtures that incorporate FlexNet wireless remote monitoring and control capabilities from smart grid infrastructure provider, Sensus.

The city will replace existing high-pressure sodium lighting (HPS) fixtures with 26,000 induction and LED lamps pre-configured with FlexNet wireless endpoints by local Chattanooga manufacturer Global Green Lighting (GGL) over the next sixteen months.

The full system roll-out was approved after a smaller scale demonstration of GGL's product to light a city park proved successful in 2011.

The foundational licensed spectrum wireless technology of the Chattanooga lighting project is identical to FlexNet systems deployed by electric, gas and water utilities to manage smart grid applications. Existing utility deployments of FlextNet can accommodate outdoor lighting control with minor configuration.

The Sensus-GGL combination includes a complete replacement light assembly that uses either an energy efficient induction lamp and ballast or light-emitting diode (LED) lamp with an integrated FlexNet radio, providing complete two-way communication with each lamp in the service territory.

Four base stations and antennae will provide the requisite signaling capability. Sensus will host Chattanooga's network via remote servers from a secure data center, thus alleviating any additional personnel or resources required by the city to manage the system.

A recent study done by the City of Chattanooga and GGL determined that the city can expect $1M in average annual energy savings over the first ten years by switching to passive LED and induction lighting. Combining LED and induction lighting with the FlexNet technology, the city's new lighting system is expected to generate an average annual savings in energy and maintenance costs of up to $2.7M.

"The Chattanooga pilot program has clearly shown the remarkable efficiencies gained by retrofitting municipal lighting," said Charlie Nobles, marketing manager for lighting at Sensus.

"When you can gain performance, improve public safety and yet cut expenses by up to 70 percent with a FlexNet radio-equipped assembly, the savings impact on a community budget can be dramatic."

GGL's induction and LED lamps require substantially less current to operate effectively, generally require less maintenance and have a longer life than more traditional HPS lights. HPSs or any other type of lighting fixture that is controlled by photo-electric sensors, poses additional maintenance issues and costs.

The new FlexNet lighting control system will allow officials to maintain precise operation of each lamp from one location to determine the appropriate output for the area and time of day. They will also know immediately when a light requires maintenance instead of having to rely on visual confirmation from the field.