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Applied Sciences
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Smart Urban Lighting Systems
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Smart Urban Lighting Systems

A special issue of Applied Sciences (ISSN 2076-3417). This special issue belongs to the section "Energy Science and Technology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 December 2019) | Viewed by 27343

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Marco Beccali

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Architecture, University of Palermo, 90128 Palermo PA, Italy
Interests: renewable energies; solar heating and cooling, efficient lighting; building physics; energy planning
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Marina Bonomolo

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Engineering, University of Palermo, 90128 Palermo PA, Italy
Interests: renewable energies; efficient lighting; building physics; energy planning; building automation systems
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The cost of energy for public lighting often represents the primary element in the expenditures of local Public Administrations (PA). Furthermore, attention is increasingly focused on the quality of lighting, both concerning visual comfort and considering the light as an instrument to improve the environment and objects therein (including buildings).  Indeed, urban degradation (lack of infrastructures, maintenance, services, etc.) is linked to the poor quality of everyday issues, such as traffic, pollution, noise, lack of information, long time to access focal points, and to the lack of safety. Simultaneously, in many areas, the potential related to the valorization of historical heritage is often underexploited. The installation of efficient lighting systems coupled with the implementation of ICT solutions can provide economic, social, and health benefits, energy efficiency, and visual comfort. On the other hand, as for indoor lighting, these systems can be expensive, not easy to maintain, and not so efficient as expected. Hence, more research should be done to investigate the problems and advantages of Smart Urban Lighting Systems in more detail.

For these reasons, studies about the design and operation of multifunctional infrastructures for public lighting as well as their impact on the urban environment and citizens’ life are worth of interest and will be welcome in this Special Issue.

Prof. Dr. Marco Beccali
Dr. Marina Bonomolo
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Applied Sciences is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • Urban Lighting
  • Smart Cities
  • ICT in diffuse networks
  • Energy Efficiency
  • Urban environment and technologies
  • Smart energy infrastructures
  • Building Automation Control Systems

Published Papers (7 papers)

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Editorial

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3 pages, 161 KiB  
Editorial
Special Issue “Smart Urban Lighting Systems”
by Marco Beccali and Marina Bonomolo
Appl. Sci. 2020, 10(10), 3627; https://doi.org/10.3390/app10103627 - 24 May 2020
Viewed by 1768
Abstract
The design and operation of multifunctional infrastructures for public lighting as well as their impact on the urban environment and citizens’ life is today of great interest. The cost of energy for public lighting is often an issue for the budget of municipalities. [...] Read more.
The design and operation of multifunctional infrastructures for public lighting as well as their impact on the urban environment and citizens’ life is today of great interest. The cost of energy for public lighting is often an issue for the budget of municipalities. Furthermore, researchers’ and designers’ attention is increasingly focused on aspects of public lighting not directly valuable through economic factors. Starting from the “quality” of the light environment, looking at citizens’ visual comfort, the light has to be considered as an instrument to improve the urban context and objects therein (including buildings). Indeed, urban degradation (lack of infrastructures, maintenance, services, etc.) is linked to the poor quality of everyday issues, such as traffic, pollution, noise, lack of information, long times to access focal points, and the lack of safety. Simultaneously, in many areas, the potential related to the valorization of historical heritage is often underexploited. The installation of efficient lighting systems coupled with the implementation of ICT solutions can provide economic, social, and health benefits, energy efficiency, and visual comfort. On the other hand, as for indoor lighting, these systems can be expensive, not easy to maintain, and not as efficient as expected. The aim of this Special Issue was to investigate the problems and advantages of smart urban lighting systems in more detail. This Special Issue included 6 papers of the 10 submitted papers. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Smart Urban Lighting Systems)

Research

Jump to: Editorial

30 pages, 7112 KiB  
Article
Security Assessment of Urban Areas through a GIS-Based Analysis of Lighting Data Generated by IoT Sensors
by Lavinia Chiara Tagliabue, Fulvio Re Cecconi, Nicola Moretti, Stefano Rinaldi, Paolo Bellagente and Angelo Luigi Camillo Ciribini
Appl. Sci. 2020, 10(6), 2174; https://doi.org/10.3390/app10062174 - 23 Mar 2020
Cited by 17 | Viewed by 4075
Abstract
The current perspective about urban development expects 70% of energy consumption will be concentrated in the cities in 2050. In addition, a growing density of people in the urban context leads to the need for increased security and safety for citizens, which imply [...] Read more.
The current perspective about urban development expects 70% of energy consumption will be concentrated in the cities in 2050. In addition, a growing density of people in the urban context leads to the need for increased security and safety for citizens, which imply a better lighting infrastructure. Smart solutions are required to optimize the corresponding energy effort. In developing countries, the cities’ lighting is limited and the lighting world map is strongly significant about the urban density of the different areas. Nevertheless, in territories where the illumination level is particularly high, such as urban contexts, the conditions are not homogenous at the microscale level and the perceived security is affected by artificial urban lighting. As an example, 27.2% of the families living in the city of Milan, ombardy Region, Italy, consider critical the conditions of lighting in the city during the night, although the region has diffused infrastructure. The paper aims to provide a local illuminance geographic information system (GIS) mapping at the neighborhood level that can be extended to the urban context. Such an approach could unveil the need to increase lighting to enhance the perceived safety and security for the citizens and promote a higher quality of life in the smart city. Lighting mapping can be matched with car accident mapping of cities and could be extended to perceived security among pedestrians in urban roads and green areas, also related to degradation signs of the built environment. In addition, such an approach could open new scenarios to the adaptive street lighting control used to reduce the energy consumption in a smart city: the perceived security of an area could be used as an additional index to be considered during the modulation of the level of the luminosity of street lighting. An example of a measurement set-up is described and tested at the district level to define how to implement an extensive monitoring campaign based on an extended research schema. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Smart Urban Lighting Systems)
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10 pages, 10856 KiB  
Article
The Effect of Utilizing Distributed Intelligent Lighting System for Energy Consumption in the Office
by Mohammed Hajjaj, Mitsunori Miki and Katsunori Shimohara
Appl. Sci. 2020, 10(6), 2004; https://doi.org/10.3390/app10062004 - 15 Mar 2020
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2528
Abstract
We have been examining how an intelligent lighting system affects energy consumption in the office. In this paper, we evaluate the traditional intelligent lighting system at the office and how to improve the best use of the intelligent lighting system by each user. [...] Read more.
We have been examining how an intelligent lighting system affects energy consumption in the office. In this paper, we evaluate the traditional intelligent lighting system at the office and how to improve the best use of the intelligent lighting system by each user. The user in the large office is not able to change the level of luminance. Moreover, the traditional lighting system is not able to specify which desk is occupied or not occupied by each worker. The proper use of lighting control affects the power consumption, and the worker sometimes forgets to change the occupancy status after leaving the office, which affects the energy. This paper argues to find the best model of the intelligent lighting system to save energy by using the technology of sensing devices for detecting the occupancy of the desk. As a result, we found that each worker has the individual lighting system, and the energy of the office is reduced by improving the intelligent lighting system. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Smart Urban Lighting Systems)
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38 pages, 12057 KiB  
Article
Having a Smarter City through Digital Urban Interfaces: An Evaluation Method
by Luis C. Aceves Gutierrez, Jorge Martin Gutierrez and Marta Sylvia Del-Rio-Guerra
Appl. Sci. 2019, 9(17), 3498; https://doi.org/10.3390/app9173498 - 24 Aug 2019
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 5936
Abstract
This paper appraises a tool developed to evaluate user experiences of urban digital interfaces. The authors propose an evaluation method that uses 14 guidelines to analyze questions pertaining to efficiency, assistance and instructions, content structure, resemblance to reality, feedback interface, visual design, cognitive [...] Read more.
This paper appraises a tool developed to evaluate user experiences of urban digital interfaces. The authors propose an evaluation method that uses 14 guidelines to analyze questions pertaining to efficiency, assistance and instructions, content structure, resemblance to reality, feedback interface, visual design, cognitive processes, internationalization, and perceptive access. The proposed tool serves to identify obstacles that once identified can then be tackled and resolved in the design phase. Addressing obstacles in the design phase serves to prevent the creation of inefficient interfaces that would lead to poor user experiences, or, likewise, the rejection of these interfaces by users. To verify the effectiveness of the proposed guidelines in a real-world environment a field study has been conducted in which eight urban interfaces located in different cities and countries were observed. The study reveals the issues typically encountered by users that prevent them from having satisfactory or enjoyable experiences when using digital urban interfaces. The paper concludes by identifying and discussing areas of opportunity for further research and improvements to the proposed guidelines. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Smart Urban Lighting Systems)
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24 pages, 16824 KiB  
Article
Space Syntax Analysis Applied to Urban Street Lighting: Relations between Spatial Properties and Lighting Levels
by Francesco Leccese, Davide Lista, Giacomo Salvadori, Marco Beccali and Marina Bonomolo
Appl. Sci. 2019, 9(16), 3331; https://doi.org/10.3390/app9163331 - 14 Aug 2019
Cited by 9 | Viewed by 3145
Abstract
According to the international technical standards, higher lighting levels (luminance and illuminance levels) are expected in trafficked and central roads (where restrictive minimum lighting requirements are necessary) and lower lighting levels are expected in peripheral and less trafficked roads. Starting from this assumption, [...] Read more.
According to the international technical standards, higher lighting levels (luminance and illuminance levels) are expected in trafficked and central roads (where restrictive minimum lighting requirements are necessary) and lower lighting levels are expected in peripheral and less trafficked roads. Starting from this assumption, in this paper, the authors analyse the correlations between spatial properties (expressed by spatial indicators, for example, the integration index and the choice index) and lighting levels (expressed by lighting parameters, for example luminance and illuminance) upon roads of an urban context. The analysis has been applied to the case study of the medium sized town of Pontedera (central Italy). From the obtained results, it has been possible to observe how the correlations between integration index and luminance and illuminance values are significant in the case of roads equipped with lighting systems able to satisfy the lighting requirements established by the regulations. The presence of the discussed correlations lays the foundation for a change in the lighting design approach on urban scale, being able to set lighting requirements on the basis of space syntax results without the use of traditional methods of road classifications involving traffic volume estimations. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Smart Urban Lighting Systems)
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25 pages, 1294 KiB  
Article
Design, Deployment and Evolution of Heterogeneous Smart Public Lighting Systems
by Gianni Pasolini, Paolo Toppan, Flavio Zabini, Cristina De Castro and Oreste Andrisano
Appl. Sci. 2019, 9(16), 3281; https://doi.org/10.3390/app9163281 - 10 Aug 2019
Cited by 43 | Viewed by 6241
Abstract
Street lighting characterizes many smart city initiatives around the world. In fact, significant savings can be achieved by not only replacing traditional luminaires with low-power LEDs, but also providing streetlights with smart light controllers and network connectivity, allowing the introduction of a sensible [...] Read more.
Street lighting characterizes many smart city initiatives around the world. In fact, significant savings can be achieved by not only replacing traditional luminaires with low-power LEDs, but also providing streetlights with smart light controllers and network connectivity, allowing the introduction of a sensible light intensity management and reduction of maintenance costs. Moreover, if designed with a far-looking view, smart lighting infrastructure could also support city-wide Internet of Things services, becoming key enablers of the smart city revolution, also in the 5G perspective. In this paper, we provide a thorough discussion on network architectures and communication technologies that could be adopted for smart public lighting applications, showing their benefits and downsides. Starting with significant activity on research, implementation and in-field testing, we also outline the steps required for the deployment of a smart public lighting infrastructure, each discussed in accordance with the network topology considered. Finally, we introduce some additional services that a smart public lighting infrastructure could support and discuss the benefits that would arise from integration with the upcoming 5G cellular network. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Smart Urban Lighting Systems)
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15 pages, 684 KiB  
Article
A Multi-Period Approach for the Optimal Energy Retrofit Planning of Street Lighting Systems
by Raffaele Carli, Mariagrazia Dotoli and Roberta Pellegrino
Appl. Sci. 2019, 9(5), 1025; https://doi.org/10.3390/app9051025 - 12 Mar 2019
Cited by 10 | Viewed by 2948
Abstract
Investing in the optimal measures for improving the energy efficiency of urban street lighting systems has become strategic for the economic, technological and social development of cities. The decision-making process for the selection of the optimal set of interventions is not so straightforward. [...] Read more.
Investing in the optimal measures for improving the energy efficiency of urban street lighting systems has become strategic for the economic, technological and social development of cities. The decision-making process for the selection of the optimal set of interventions is not so straightforward. Several criticalities-such as difficulties getting access to credit for companies involved in street lighting systems refurbishment, budget constraints of municipalities, and unawareness of the actual energy and economic performance after a retrofitting intervention-require a decision-making approach that supports the city energy manager in selecting the optimal street lighting energy efficiency retrofitting solution while looking not only based on the available budget, but also based on the future savings in energy expenditures. In this context, the purpose of our research is to develop an effective decision-making model supporting the optimal multi-period planning of the street lighting energy efficiency retrofitting, which proves to be more effective and beneficial than the classical single-period approach and has never before been applied to the considered public lighting system context. The proposed methodology is applied to a real street lighting system in the city of Bari, Italy, showing the energy savings and financial benefit obtained through the proposed method. Numerical experiments are used to investigate and quantify the effects of using a multi-period planning approach instead of a single-period approach. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Smart Urban Lighting Systems)
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