BSES automates Street Lights using microprocessor technology

New Delhi, Feb 13 (UNI) In an effort to creats world class electricity distribution infrastructure in the capital, Distcom BSES has embarked on a mission to automate streetlights in its licenced area spread across nearly 1000 sq km.

There were over 2.6 lakh streetlights in BSES licensed area consuming over 40 MW of electricity at a given point of time. At present streetlights all manually operated causing heavy loss of scarce power on account of delay in switching them off and theft by unscrupulous elements, a statement said today.

BSES embarked on the innovative project to automate streetlights to overcome the delay in switching off the streetlights and to minimise the incidence of power theft. Initially, the project would run on experimental basis and after assessing and gauging its impact it would be implemented in others parts of BSES licensed area.

BSES had successfully completed the first phase of the Programmable Street Light Controller project by automating around 4,000 streetlights in large parts of South Delhi's Vasant Kunj area, Andheria Bagh, Masoodpur and the roads leading to the airport.

The PSLC project, costing Rs 20 lakh, had been completed in a record time of less than two months. And the company's next target was to automate around 3,500 streetlights in Hauz Khas area.

The microprocessor-controlled system, being implemented with assistance of Hyderabad-based company Siricom Technologies, automatically switched on off streetlights on the basis of the amount of light during sunset and sunrise.

It automatically switches on when the ambient light level falls below 60 lux.

The system also had inherent power theft prevention features.

Every streetlight point had a maximum load restriction. Any increase in load, would automatically cut off the power supply.

The project would help in conserving over 1.7 million units of electricity every year in Vasant Kunj area alone and over a period of time it was expected to help save over 60 million units of electricity every year.

UNI