New Orleans awards contract for streetlight retrofit pilot

New Orleans is to pilot a retrofit streetlighting project which integrates LED lighting and smart city technology to increase energy efficiency and improve public safety.

Energy solutions provider Ameresco has been awarded the project and will install and manage 56 existing city streetlight fixtures with LED equivalents with the support of its partners, Legacy Professional Services and AllStar Electric.

Smart city operations software

The implementation includes the Ubicquia UbiCell lighting management system (LMS) with 47 UbiCells and 16 Ubicquia UbiHub smart city devices and the TerraGo smart city operations software platform to deploy and manage all assets.

“As the city continues to attract millions of visitors for major events, we need to enhance and improve our public resources to make sure our city is safe and accessible for all,” said Gilbert Montaño, chief administrative officer for the City of New Orleans.

“Smart cities are the cities of the future, and this pilot project will showcase how cities can implement smart solutions that boost energy efficiency and public safety”

“We hope this pilot programme, being installed adjacent to the Superdome, provides a blueprint for implementation across the city and allows us to provide valuable services like real-time vehicle and pedestrian analytics, and to monitor high traffic areas to maintain safety for our residents and visitors.”

Ameresco claims it has been a leader in smart street lighting, with smart controls on more than 62 per cent of 600,000 plus LED streetlights to date and has helped cities to implement smart infrastructure technology to help monitor, maintain and improve their use of smart assets.