K-Lite

E l aRTIC T s E Gu sharmila Kumbhat

Managing Director K-lite India

Smart City Pole

The concept of smart cities came into being as a consequential development to internet of things (IoT), digital connectivity, global warming and the compelling necessities for energy saving. More than 50 % of the world's population lives in cities, A city environment, with a closely knit street light network became a natural choice for a smart city concept, hosting sensor networks and wireless communications for traffic control, smart parking, noise and air quality monitoring, incident detection, and more. Smart city lights are not stand alone system. They have to be integrated with other systems under what is known as Internet of Things (IoT). Hence the chosen smart city light poles should be able to accommodate a full range of lighting controls compatible to remote control and integral with suitable sensors for the respective application. In fact, the smart city pole is going to be a service platform for various services for Network redundancy, application areas such as mobile connectivity WLAN), traffic control, security camera (CCTV), information transfer, public announcement with loud speakers, smart parking, environmental monitoring and even the electric charger for electric cars etc., K-Lite proudly announces the introduction of smart city poles ( Intelligent poles) with its modular solution, to cater to the above needs in the upcoming smart cities with the salient features as below:

Salient Feature of Smart City Pole

One main pole with one to five modules, Smart column is a multitude of combinations. With flexible modules, the smart column is very handy and flexible for add-on. Choose your combination, add the module, connect them together and the smart column is ready to meet your requirement EM

Wires & Cables

ElEctric cablEs usEd to transmit information arE quitE diffErEnt from powEr cablEs

Wire is a piece of metal that is used to carry electric current on the other hand, cable contain a number of wires inside a plastic or rubber which is used to carry electric signals. Copper, aluminum, plastics and alloys are the materials which are used to make these wires and cables. They are widely used in industries like defence and gas, oil, automotive etc. These days, due to increasing residences and houses in developing countries, there is an increase in the use of the wires and cables.

The domestic cables and wires industry has registered robust growth over the last five years led by the government’s focus on providing power to all and gradual pickup from the housing market. The wire and cables market in India has the potential to grow by USD 1.65 billion during 2021-2025, and the market’s growth momentum will accelerate at a CAGR of 3.80%. The development of infrastructural projects by the government and investment is driving the growth of the wire and cable market in India.

The market is expected to be driven by factors such as the growth in renewable power generation in India, the expansion and revamping of Transmission & Distribution infrastructure in India, and increasing investments in metro railways. Increased investments in smart grid projects and up-gradation of power transmission and distribution systems are also estimated to propel the demand for wires & cables globally. Significant investments in smart grid technology have resulted in an increasing need for grid interconnections. Additionally, rising investments in underground cables and the growth of renewable energy are set to escalate the adoption of wires and cables. Wire and cables demand is directly dependent on the growth of the manufacturing industry and infrastructure in the power, telecommunications, residential and commercial sectors. Thus the government’s initiatives on various fronts like –power, housing, infrastructure and digitization are sure to generate a lot of business for the wire and cable industry in the foreseeable future. Likewise, with the government’s emphasis on pushing renewable energy to the forefront, the industry is now looking forward to supplying cables for solar and wind power applications in addition to oil and gas, railways and other specialized segments. Wires and cables are deployed across an extensive range of applications which include consumer electronics, utilities, material handling, automotive, and entertainment/leisure amongst others. Growing inclination toward the expansion of prevailing grid networks coupled with lack of efficient electric infrastructure will propel the industry outlook over the forecast timeline.

Industry Challenges

The wire and cable industry has vast potential in growth in coming years but it has some challenges also, the increasing price rise and competition from Chinese imports. The wire and cable industry is experiencing volatility in raw material prices, as the price of copper continues to increase, profit margins are squeezed and they become uncompetitive in the international market. County is experiencing an all time high price of fuel it’s direct impact on domestic transportation, in result wire and cable transportation has increased. Also, a large section of the industry is still unorganised; there is a lack of quality product offerings from these players due to non-compliance with the product guidelines.

s E l B s & Ca IRE W

Cable, in electrical and electronic systems, a conductor or group of conductors for transmitting electric power or telecommunication signals from one place to another. Electric communication cables transmit voice messages, computer data, and visual images via electrical signals to telephones, wired radios, computers, tele-printers, facsimile machines and televisions. There is no clear distinction between an electric wire and an electric cable. Usually the former refers to a single, solid metallic conductor with or without insulation, while the latter refers to a stranded conductor or to an assembly of insulated conductors. With fibre-optic cables, made of flexible fibres of glass and plastic, electrical signals are converted to light pulses for the transmission of audio, video, and computer data.

Electric Power Cables

The most common type of electric power cable is that which is suspended overhead between poles or steel towers. These aerial cables consist of a number of wires, usually of copper or aluminum, twisted (stranded) together in concentric layers. Copper or aluminum is chosen for high electrical conductivity, while stranding gives the cable flexibility. Because aerial cables are frequently subjected to severe environmental stresses, alloys of copper or aluminum are sometimes used to increase the mechanical strength of the cable, although at some detriment to its electrical conductivity. A more common design is to include in the stranded cable assembly a number of high-strength, noncorrosive steel wires. Many aerial cables, especially those operating at high voltages, are bare (uninsulated). Cables operating at lower voltages frequently have coverings of asphalt-saturated cotton braid, polyethylene, or other dielectric (no conducting) material. These coverings offer some protection against short-circuiting and accidental electric shock.

Another type of electric power cable is installed in underground ducts and is extensively used in cities where lack of space or considerations of safety preclude the use of overhead lines. Unlike an aerial cable, a buried cable invariably uses commercially pure copper or aluminum (mechanical strength is not a problem underground), and the stranded conductor is frequently rolled to maximize its compactness and electrical conductance.

Aerial and underground power cables compose a major portion of the electrical circuit from the generator to the point of utilization of the electric power. The balance of the circuit (and sometimes the entire circuit) may, however, require specialized cables. Illustrative of these usages and of the special conditions to be met are cables for use in steel mills and boiler rooms (high temperature), on mobile equipment (vibration and excessive flexing), in chemical plants (corrosion), for submarines and mines (mechanical abuse), near nuclear reactors (high radiation), and on artificial satellites (pressure extremes).

Electric Telecommunication Cables

Electric cables used to transmit information are quite different from power cables, both in function and in design. Power cables are designed for high voltages and high current loads, whereas both voltage and current in a communication cable are small. Power cables operate on direct current or low-frequency alternating current, while communication cables operate at higher frequencies. A power cable usually has not more than three conductors, each of which may be 1 inch (2.5 cm) or more in diameter; a telephone cable may have several thousand conductors, the diameter of each being less than 0.05 inch (0.125 cm).

Protective coverings for electric communication cables are similar to those for electric power cables. They usually consist of an aluminum or lead-alloy tube or of a combination of metallic strips and thermoplastic materials. The insulation of a telephone cable is composed of dry cellulose (in the form of paper tape wrapped around the conductor or paper pulp applied to the conductor) or of polyethylene. The insulation thickness is a few hundredths of an inch or less. A coaxial cable, which first gained widespread use during World War II, is a two-conductor cable in which one of the conductors takes the form of a tube while the other (smaller but also circular in cross section) is supported, with a minimum of solid insulation, at the centre of the tube. Several of these coaxial units may be assembled within a common jacket, or sheath. The construction of long submarine cables for either telephone or telegraph service is somewhat different from that discussed previously. A transatlantic cable fo r telegraphs was first completed in 1858 and for telephones in 1956; a fibre-optic cable first spanned the Atlantic Ocean in 1988. See also undersea cable.

Market Overview:

Over the past two decades, Indian wires and cables industry has grown considerably in size while transforming itself into an organized one from being an unorganized sector. Though the unorganized sector still constitutes a notable one-third of the industry, however, the market is dominated by few major players. To be precise, the market is led by major players specializing in designing, manufacturing viz. Polycab wires, Finolex cables, CMI, RR Kabel, Sterlite Technologies, KEI Industries and Havells India. Other significant players include Cable Corporation of India, Cords Cable Industries, Diamond Power Investment, Gupta Power Investment Ltd., KEC International Ltd., LS Cable India, Shilpi Cable Technologies, Universal Cables, V-Guard Industries, etc.

The overall size of the cables industry in India is estimated to be around INR 412.50 billion in 2016-17 as per IEEMA, recording a moderate growth of around 5.1 percent over the previous FY 2015-16. As for the current financial year, the industry has registered a growth of 9.6 percent during the first www.electricalmirror.net

s E l B s & Ca IRE W

half of FY 2017-18 (April to September). On the other hand, due to the delays in order finalizations by major buyers – the conductors market saw a decline of 10.76 percent falling in overall size from INR 81.25 billion in 2015-16 to INR 72.50 billion in 2016-17. Unfortunately, the segment is still facing the heat and negative growth of 17.40 percent during the first half of current FY 2017-18 (April to September). During 2016-17, the exports stood at INR 19.55 billion (registering a growth of 14.5 percent) and the imports stood at INR 5.76 billion (with a decline of 1.1 percent). Thus, the exports have supported the growth in the cable segment.

If we look at the exports/imports comparison during the first half of the current FY 2017-18, the total value of cable exports stood at INR 11.96 billion, whereas the cable imports during the same period stood at INR 4.59 billion. While the exports recorded an increase of 2 percent over the corresponding period in the previous year, the imports witnessed a sharp decline of 50 percent over the corresponding period of the previous year. On the other hand, during the first half of the current financial year 2017-18, the import of conductors stood at Rs 3.11 billion, recording a significant decline of 41 percent over the same period in the previous year. Fortunately, the exports of conductors registered a growth of 5 percent in this period and stood at Rs 8.29 billion.

Trends: Market & Technology

Overall, the cables and conductors industry has grown significantly in the past few years with investments infused in the power and investment sectors by the government. While the cable segment witnessed a positive growth, the conductor segment experienced sluggish demand last year. Across cable sub-categories, the power cables segment registered a growth of 5.2 percent in 2016-17, while the control cables segment saw a decline of 3.4 percent. However, the first half of 2017-18 saw a reversal of trends wherein the high voltage power cable growth tumbled by 7 percent and the control cable segment grew by 2.9 percent.

The cable segment is the shift towards high voltage transmission lines. This demand is essentially driven by the creation of high capacity long distance corridors to deliver electricity to high demand regions and the development of green energy corridors for integrating the increasing share of renewable energy into the grid. Further, underground cabling is gaining increased acceptance among state and central transmission utilities as it provides greater safety (against electrocution) as compared to overhead cables.

On the technology front, the industry is witnessing a number of new technologies being introduced to enable utilities to augment their capacities without encountering the issues

of right-of-way (RoW) clearances. Further, due to the risks associated with bare overhead cables, covered cables have been gaining importance in the market. Cross-linked polyethylene (XLPE), high-density polyethylene, aerial bunched cables and spacer cable systems are some of the most commonly used covered cables.

In addition, an emerging technology trend of high-temperature low sag (HTLS) conductors is witnessing a greater adoption by the utilities. These conductors not only enhanced the operational efficiency but can also be used for the purpose of reconductoring the existing lines that enable utilities to transmit a higher quantum of power through existing corridors and can significantly scale down losses as well as instances of power outages. Further, to increase the current carrying capacity and scale down the transmission losses, utilities are turning to high-temperature superconductors (HTS) that have 5 to 10 times the current carrying capacity as compared to conventional conductors.

Gas-insulated lines (GILs) that can be installed under the ground as well as in tunnels and trenches are today a well-accepted technology trend in the overseas market. Due resistive losses of GILs being lower than overhead lines and other types of underground cables, they offer greater reliability with no risk of fire. This technology can serve as a viable alternative to overhead lines where RoW is not available for the transmission of electricity. However, it is still waiting to see a widespread adoption in the domestic market.

Way Forward

There is utmost need to look into corrective measures to deal with the issue faced by the industry. There is lack of standardisation of the end product posing a serious challenge for the sector. It is therefore imperative to develop standard guidelines for the industry as a whole so as the quality is not compromised. Further, the government should look into creating a single window clearance mechanism for all players to deal with the issue of delays in projects. This will help in faster project clearances leading to spur in the demands for the industry.

Though increasing industrialization and growing population agriculture for reliable and efficient power supply have kept demand high for cables and conductors. Going forward, looking the investments infused in the power and investment sectors by the government and various initiatives undertaken, this demand trend is expected to continue for the industry in the future as well.

According to the IEEFA, India’s T/R grids will requirement adding modernization investments totaling between $60 bn & $ 80 bn. Additionally, GoI has established a target to add100 GW of solar power capacity by 2022 which requirements between $6 bn & $8 bn of grid investment to move this power from its sources to its users. After this India’s grid will be much more accessible, reliable, cleaner & efficient than it currently is. Much of this investment seems to be made using www.electricalmirror.net

s E l B s & Ca IRE W

world-class equip’, materials & techniques to ensure that every penny invested gets put to good use. Cables & conductors are crucial elements of a T&D network. Cable & conductor market in India seen strong growth over the past few years on the back of expansions in the power sector as well as other investment sectors. This market in India comprises nearly half of the electrical industry & has grown at a CAGR of over 12%. Governments continued focus on 24×7 reliable power supply, reduction in T&D losses & universal household electrification has helped drive demand in the market & this rising trend is expected to continue in the near term. Development & strengthening of the country’s T&D network has always been a key focus area. For this, a no’ of government initiatives & programs have been undertaken such as the DDUGJY, IPDS & the recently launched Saubhagya scheme. All these schemes have created a market for this sector in the country. Indian wire & cable industry gone through different phases of expansion & contraction. JFTC is now being used no more for the telephone lines& is an e.g. of boom & bust cycle. Fiber optic cable too will have its boom & bust period; it had one 17 years ago & it will have one again. India will have consolidation of certain plants & closure of certain others but there will be an ongoing market for fiber optic cables. This industry has had a cyclical demand profile where demand is based upon the economy& technology, both of which run at different speeds & so some¬ times these peaks & troughs in the 2 different demand cycles coincide & either get a boom/ get a bust & at other times a steady trickle of business. Some players in India have survived through all of that & the people who are still here are the ones who know how to manage & survive it. In the next 2-3, some good growth can be seen in the cable industry, especially the fiber optics. India cannot produce enough fiber at the moment to satisfy the demand that will come over the next 2-3 years. And is a reason why major fiber makers in India are investing a lot to expand production to produce fiber that will be needed. India stands to be in a good position globally in terms of being a producer of these products. Once saturated own market with cable there will still be a market for replace¬ment. Some additions will be there but there will also be other markets which need it & those become the export market. African countries are the next big & growing markets. China is covering its domestic market. Middle East will grow but small population may impact the scope for business there.

Market size & growth

Size of the cable industry in India has increased at a CAGR of 14.6% between 2013-14&2017-18. As per IEEMA, total size of the domestic cable market in 2017-18 was est’ at Rs

500 bn, a remarkable growth of 20% over 2016-17. In the first 6 months of 2018-19 (Apr-Sep), market registered a 30% growth. Meanwhile, Domestic conductor industry has witnessed sluggish growth over the past 5 years, recording a CAGR of about 2%. Size of market increased marginally from Rs 72.5 bn in 2016-17 to Rs 81 bn in 2017-18, after recording -ve growth for 2 consecutive years. In the first half of 2017-18 (Apr-Sep), it again registered a decline of 6.3% over the previous year. Which can be attributed to delays in the finalization of orders by major buyers? In the cable industry, demand for all subcategories of wires & cables such as power cables, control cables & comm. cables has grown consistently. In 2017-18, the LV cable segment registered a growth of 27.87%, followed by the control cable segment at 12.2%, & the HV cable segment at 9.7%. In the first half of 2018-19, the LV, HV & control cable segments recorded growth rates of 33.5%, 29.3% & 22.9%, respectively. Yet, increase in import of cables & conductors have affected domestic demand. In 2017-18, import of cables stood at Rs 7.34 bn &conductors at Rs 5.25 bn, about 20&33% higher than respectively imports recorded in 2016-17. In the first 6 months of 2018-19, while the import of cables continued to grow, recording an increase of 23% over the previous year, import of conductors recorded a significantly decline of 24%. Total value of cable exports in 2017-18 stood at Rs 25.6 bn &conductor exports at Rs 18.2 bn, hence registering a growth of 18%&15%, respectively which is a +ve indicator for the domestic industry.

Growth drivers

Cable & conductor industry have grown significantly in the past few years with investments being made in the power & investment sectors by the government. Size of the industry is expected to double over the next 5 years, growing at a CAGR of 20%. Continuing focus on 24×7 power supply, development & strengthening of the T&D network & electrification of all villages & households are some of the key growth drivers of the cable & conductor market. Various government programs including the IPDS, Sahaj Bijli Har Ghar Yojana & the UDAY have led to new investments in the distribution segment. Government has planned an investment of about Rs 2.6 tn in the T/R sector during the XIIIth plan period, which is 1.4 times higher than the proposed capex in the XIIth plan period. Of the planned investment, Rs 300 bn is likely to be spent on T/R systems of 220 kV & below. One of the major drivers for this industry is the integration of renewables to the system. Government has set a target to install 225 GW of renewable capacity by 2022. A large share of which will come from solar installations, creating a significantly opportunity for solar cables. Also, to evacuate power from the large-scale RE plants being developed under the plan, a no’ of T/R lines are being constructed, hence driving demand for conductors. Also, ongoing smart city projects are expected to lead to largescale developments in the power, telecom, housing & other investment sectors, creating more demand. Underground cabling is an essential part of smart city projects. It has become almost mandatory in densely populated areas owing to increasing RoW issues. It is also being preferred owing to its benefits such as low susceptibility to damage from severe weather conditions, greater safety, protection against illegal connections, theft & pilferage & better aesthetics. Government also plans to undertake 100% electrification of its broadgauge network by 2021-22 which involves electrification of almost 40,000 route km of railway lines, which is a huge opportunity for this market. Metro rail projects worth Rs 1.75 tn are at various stages of approval & are likely to come up for bidding in the next 5 years, creating a Rs 175 bn opportunity. Also, the oil & gas industry is set to invest Rs 6 tn over the next 7 years, largely focusing on increasing the refining capacity & developing new fields. And, this is expected to boost the cable industry as 3% of the capex in the oil & gas industry is spent on cables. Reconductoring also increases the demand as it enables utilities to transmit a higher quantum of power through existing corridors & can significantly scale down losses & instances of power outages.

While the cable segment witnessed a positive growth, the conductor segment experienced sluggish demand. With the development of large-scale RE plants & solar parks, there is a need to lay down lines in order to connect them to existing grid. Meanwhile, investment in the coming years will continue to be driven by the central government through schemes such as

www.electricalmirror.net

s E l B s & Ca IRE W

DDUGJY, IPDS & Saubhagya. Even though the DDUGJY scheme is nearing its target, the focus on household electrification through Saubhagya will continue to sustain the demand in the cables & conductors’ segment. Also, with most of the states adopting UDAY, the state discoms are expected to improve their T&D investment through renewed capital expenditure. Apart from the impetus provided by the government, other key driver for the growth of the cable segment is the shift towards HVT/R lines. This demand is essentially driven by the creation of high capacity long distance corridors to deliver electricity to high demand regions & the development of green energy corridors for integrating the increasing share of RE into the grid. Future growth in the cable segment is likely to be driven by 132 kV&400 kV lines. Underground cabling too is gaining increased acceptance among state & central T/R utilities as it provides greater safety as compared to overhead cables. Lastly, the increase in government infra spending, particularly under the Smart Cities Mission, is expected to propel demand &present new opportunities in the cables & conductors’ segment.

Wires and Cables Market Share Insights

Key players such as Prysmian S.P.A; Furukawa Electric Co. Ltd.; Nexans; Fujikura Ltd.; Sumitomo Corporation; Southwire Company; Leoni AG; NKT A/S; Belden Inc.; LS Cable & System Ltd.; and KEI Industries Ltd. held the leading position in the market. These companies are adopting various organic and inorganic growth strategies. Extensive investments in smart grid transmission have led players to aggressively receive contracts and agreements. For instance, in 2017, LS Cable & System Ltd. received a contract from Power Grid Company of Bangladesh (PGCB), an overhead cable project worth $60 Billion. LS Cable & System Ltd. will manufacture and supply all the products and construct the transmission towers for the project.

Mergers and acquisitions and partnerships have positively impacted the growth and are significantly driving the overall market share of key players. For instance, in August 2016, Nexans and American Superconductor Corporation (AMSC) entered into a partnership to market and sold AMSC’s Resilient Electric Grid (REG) system. The partnership involves AMSC and Nexans to collaborate and deliver products and solution to electric utility customers in U.S. and Canada. Also, in June 2016, Nexans signed a framework agreement with Energinet. dk, a Danish Transmission System Operator (TSO). The agreement was to deliver 500 km of high voltage (HV) cables, and the contract is worth more than 20 billion euros EM

ASC-4 Battery

Automatic Sustainable Controller

The ASC-4 Battery lets you quickly and easily add energy storage systems (ESS) such as batteries in existing brownfield and new greenfield hybrid applications, providing seamless energy storage in commercial and industrial applications. The DEIF ASC-4 Battery is a highly configurable sustainable energy storage controller that allows seamless integration of a wide range of Power inverters and Battery management. Flexible and scalable controller, hybrid installations as single controller or with other DEIF controllers such as the AGC-4 Mk II advanced genset controller and other sustainable controllers in our ASC-4 range.

DEIF India Pvt. Ltd.

602, 6th Floor Town Center – II, Andheri Kurla Road, Andheri (East), Mumbai – 400 059 www.deif.com - india@deif.in - Ph.: +91 22 42452000

Read more about DEIF ASC-4 Battery

https://www.deif.com/products/asc-4-battery/

leD & rOaD lighting

EnhancE thE vision quality in road lighting in addition to EnErgy saving

Street lighting is one of the sectors where off-grid energy systems are used, and in the past decade interest in these systems has increased due to recent developments occurred both in LED and PV technology. An objective of this report is to provide information about LEDs benefits and challenges in road lighting, which will assist the engineers and researchers to develop the LEDs with the standards used for road lighting and its impact on drivers, pedestrians and environment. It also discusses the basis of quantitative recommendations for road lighting; the background to current guidance, the need to revise standards to respond to developments in science and technology.

Led lighting:

With growing urbanization, energy saving journey involves connecting light with the application; application with time & time with the user. There is a growing demand for better control of energy, reduced light pollution & wider compatibility with diverse digital systems. This can only be achieved when you understand the wider application. Globally, there is a trend to use LED & white light that is enabling us to both lower the energy required for lighting & lower the required lighting level. Research demonstrates that we simply see more efficiently in whiter light than under conventional light sources. This combined with LED challenges us to control & dim our street lighting, setting light in the right place & quantity, using Thorn systems/ by integrating your preferred controls. Changes in technology & legislation help us to support you with your carbon reduction targets, to control obtrusive light & to reduce energy, all moving you towards achieving tough environmental standards. Switching off is no longer your only choice, dimming positively impacts energy usage & keeps our road sv & streets safe for all. Another notable trend is within outdoor lighting controls. Today, LED means controls are easily accessible to all, either by local presence detection, part night dimming, linked groups of fittings responding to a wider influence/ through digitally connected cities. The ability to interact with lighting, use data to fine tune the energy & performance profiles is enabling municipalities to react to the needs of the population, to lengthen the life of an installation & to plan for the future. Lighting more than ever can be efficient, respects our need for dark & yet stimulate a truly smart city. To achieve all these aims takes a team working with & that has experience, practice & a heritage of great projects.

Performance

The optical system of an outdoor luminaire has to be designed to satisfy a number of criteria. The main factors are the type of light distribution required & the choice of light source. Previously the main light sources were traditionally sodium, mercury, ceramic metal halide-based discharge & even CFL but these are now surpassed by LED. Size of light source influences the options open to the designer. The shape of CFL dictates a longer, narrower lantern with little scope for varying the light distribution in the plane of the lamp axis; compact metal halide lamps enable increased choices through moving lamp within reflector. LED’s because of their size & directionality grants themselves to a greater variety of optical arrangements resulting in distributions with excellent control. Thus, modern optical designs, materials & techniques can deliver more controlled light distributions & maximize performance. An intelligent electronic driver is required that dims pairs of LEDs in relation to each other & as a result tunes the light distribution of the lantern to the specific road conditions. The greater use of luminaires with “white light” sources (LED, metal halide & compact fluorescent) enhances visual performance due to the output spectrum being more suited to the eyes’ own response at low levels of illumination. It allows equivalent recognition at lower light levels.

Efficiency

A luminaire design, including optics, & the right light source & gear combination, have a direct impact on energy consumption & maintenance costs. Miniature metal halide & LEDs in particular are sources renowned for high quality optical performance with low energy consumption in many applications. Electronic ballasts with high frequency possess the operational edge of better lamp efficacy & life, lowered energy consumption, with capacity for dimming/ power reduction & automatic control, in a lightweight one-piece housing. To maximize energy efficiency, LED drivers can take advantage of flexible drive currents. Used to their full potential in well-designed luminaires these technologies can achieve energy savings in excess of 80% on refurbishment projects. In addition, the S/P ratio properties of these white light sources enable lighting levels to be lowered in certain applications & countries, such as residential areas, thus saving further energy & emissions. LED can last longer compare to other conventional light sources with correct thermal management. When combined with lighting controls that dim & provide feedback as well as the longer life of LED light sources, impact on maintenance demands & costs can be notable, lessens the need for night-time scouting, & lessens need to change lamps. Lighting design software’s, helps calculate savings quickly & assess the life cycle cost of a project. Emphasis on sustainable practices is required, such as designing products to last longer, to use materials that can be recycled & easily dismantled at the end of life, & to minimize the use of toxic materials & packaging.

lIGHTING D a ED & RO l

Comfort

Lighting to suit modern transport routes is not just about delivering optimum levels of light for effective performance & energy saving. The right light can generate feelings of safety, reduce stress, increase focus & orientation, improve confidence & provide reassurance. Today’s LED luminaires are not limited by the traditional design constraints & with the use of digital technology enable the lighting to be adapted to suit the needs of the user.

Outdoor Lighting Controls

All outdoor lighting applications require a control mechanism to enhance energy savings & comfort levels. The most basic is provided by photocells/ time-controlled switches. The swift run-up times of modern light sources enables the user to trim annual burning hours. Many luminaires are now available with integral bi-power switches, a flexible device used in conjunction with the power reduction facilities offered by electronic ballasts & LED drivers. Bi-power enables light source power to be varied by switching between power levels controlled by a dedicated control line/ standalone device within the luminaire, /by mains bourne digital signals. Simplicity with which LED can respond to changes in power underlines their suitability to this form of control. A central management system (CMS) offers a different dimension. Utilizing either power line/ radio frequency data transmission, it allows control of all the light points of a road network from a centralized/ decentralized point. CMS functions best with lamps optimized for use with digitally controlled electronic ballasts & LED drivers. Some of the benefits area facility to dim/ turn off luminaires at specific times based on pedestrian & traffic flows; Energy use optimization; Flexibility to incident adaptability; Monitor & report failures & streamline maintenance programs, CMS is a basic step in creating intelligent roads as it can integrate with renewable energy & smart grids.

Highways/Motorways

Road lighting should aid its user to travel to their destination safely & securely at high speed, dependant on the prevailing weather & traffic conditions. Any object at the road edge must be seen without excessive & obtrusive light encroaching on the immediate surroundings. It is of prime to select energy efficient, easy to install & maintain luminaire & light source combination. The goal is to meet regulations & standards that specify light levels with correct uniformity & glare control, relevant to the conditions & geography. The Luminaires should offer a choice of body size, shallow/ flat glass enclosures, R-PEC LED optics, post-top/ side entry & numerous light sources & control options. This means that the luminaire must provide the best performance regardless of the road layout. Outcome is less spill-light away the road surface with better uniformity & savings in initial expenditure, less energy per meter of road & reduced future maintenance costs. Highways & motorways are designed for high speeds (>60km/h) where no pedestrians, cyclists/ slow vehicles are involved. There are no intersections & access is controlled. Traditional mounting heights are above 12m to correctly light a twin carriageway with 3/ 4 lanes, plus a hard shoulder at either side. Twin-arm brackets should be considered to optimize performance. Though conventionally, columns have been installed in a central reservation, an opposite installation with columns behind the hard shoulder can simplify maintenance operations & reduce traffic disruption. Glare is a major concern & an optimally designed optic and/or the use of flat glass enclosures are necessary. Luminaires mounted on column ought to be discovered to reduce impact risk, give visual guidance of the route ahead, for instance curves, junctions & other hazards, yet blend effortlessly with the surrounding landscape.

Main Roads

The essential difference between the lighting requirements for high speed roads & main roads is determined by the element of speed & the type of road users. Main roads have a wider variety of road users, increasing the need for visual clarity. Lighting is provided for reasons of safety, to aid navigation & orientation of the user on the road, albeit at a more moderate speed. Roads may not be separated by a central reservation. Consideration also needs to be given to cost efficiency in terms of installation, energy use & maintenance through life and, from the perspective of the driver, the perception of safety through the correct levels of light, uniformity & low glare. Using highly engineered heat sinks integrated into the canopy & combinations of LED optics superior optical performance can be delivered for lighting classes up to ME3a, while providing comfort through good glare control as well as energy efficiency & maintenance cost savings. In most cases it is unsafe to simply switch off the lighting, unless there are times when the roads are completely empty. What is required is from full central control to group dimming, & individual mini-photocell & bi-power options to ensure optimum energy management, which is rightly the major aim after safety. The main use of main roads is for vehicles at high speed (>60km/h) but pedestrians, cyclists/ slow vehicles may also be present on footpaths, cycle paths & slow lanes. Intersections can be present & need special attention. A common installation will use columns at around 8-12m high & in an opposite/ twin central configuration. Installations always need to be related to the road layout, the number of lanes involved & the lighting criteria. Centenary mounted solutions, where luminaires are mounted over the centre of the road, are popular options in

some countries, especially in urban environments. Reducing the number of lighting columns should be balanced with the visual effect of additional suspension wires in architecturally sensitive areas. As for controls the use of dimming, suited in reaction speed to fast moving vehicles & also to smaller slower pedestrians, will either dim automatically when it is known there are less users, / will react directly to traffic density, time of day & daylight.

Minor Roads

A mix of traffic will be found on minor roads including: motor vehicles, cyclists & pedestrians, all of which should be moving at a slower pace. The lighting levels are generally set at lower levels than for major roads as road users should be more attentive & have a longer time to react. The requirements of pedestrians, who need to see & be seen, particularly at intersections & crossings, now become vitally important & light will need to extend from the road across to cycle paths & footpaths. A good vertical element to the lighting distribution will help with facial recognition, reducing the fear of crime but also allowing drivers to read body language with other road users & predict what they are likely to do. White light is preferable, but use of high color temperatures should be avoided. The application performance, energy management & glare control requirements will all help in luminaire & controls selection & the aesthetic may have to tie into the surrounding architectural style & feel. Remember that minor roads may sit within urban environments & light spill behind the luminaire should be limited to those surfaces required by the standards with less onto surrounding property. Where these roads pass though rural zones they may remain unlit except for safety. In this case linked detection & controls systems can be used to detect oncoming traffic & maximize energy saving while preserving darkness when the road is empty. Minor roads are normally medium to low speed roads with a large number of slow vehicles & pedestrians. Intersections are common. Regional roads & urban roads are mainly part of this group as well as commercial streets. Columns 6-8m high are commonly used in a single sided/ staggered layout, although in some commercial streets with wide footpaths an additional column & luminaire may be used to achieve high quality lighting & differentiate areas. Visual comfort is achieved with good uniformity, low glare & lamps with good color rendering which will promote a feeling of safety, particularly for pedestrians. The luminaires & support systems, which must be carefully located to minimize potential impact, should be in harmony with their surroundings. This will include the impact of dimming/ switching of luminaires on surrounding domestic premises & their occupants.

Residential Roads

Generally residential roads should be lit with light levels & color rendering that enhances the neighborhood & encourages people to go out at night without the fear of crime. Luminaires should have a good spacing window to allow for the considerable number of junctions/ obstacles to column positioning. They should be easy to install, maintain & be resistant to potential vandalism. The luminaires should be energy efficient & reliable in function with lighting controls monitoring their performance, & when necessary bringing failures to the attention of maintenance teams. Care should be taken to ensure light nuisance is not caused to residential properties, but be aware some residents may be used to light spill providing access & security lighting to their dwelling. Luminaires that accept light guillotines may be necessary where the terrain will cause light through windows. These roads are normally used by low speed mixed traffic where parked vehicles are common & column heights of 6m/ less are frequently chosen. Single sided layouts may be used to reduce installation costs although layouts may vary due to multiple access points to private car parks/ properties. It is more common to light from back of path, allowing free movement to pedestrians, etc. The use of staggered layouts is common when parking lanes & wide footpaths are present. In applications where crime ratios are high & facial recognition is required, vertical & semi-cylindrical luminance classes should be applied & the use of good color rendering lamps to improve perception is recommended. Low glare lanterns should be considered to reduce light trespass onto adjacent residential housing. Vandal & impact resistant luminaires may be required. Lanterns can be themed/ styled to suit the neighborhood road & architectural layout. Lighting controls should dim slowly & avoid nuisance switching.

Way Forward

There is a need for new standards responsible for road lighting. The effective standards will be the one which is related to the benefits for road users so that they can travel safely, feel safe and minimize the risk of road collisions. All in all LEDs are the strong candidates for replacing conventional light sources as they enhance the vision quality in road lighting in addition to energy saving.

Road lighting using LEDs is cost effective, easy to implement, and high impact solutions to reduce carbon emissions. EE lighting is a step in the right direction to achieve greener and safer transport, de carbonize and beautify cities and urban places, and promote sustainable and inclusive growth in rural areas. This report provide the information about LEDs benefits and challenges in road lighting, which will assist the engineers and researchers to develop the LEDs with the standards used for road lighting and its impact on drivers, pedestrians and environment. It also discusses the basis of quantitative recommendations for road lighting; the background to current guidance, the need to revise standards to respond to developments in science and technology EM