Intelligent Lighting Control Module from Sensus

Sensus VantagePoint™, the latest advancement in intelligent lighting control, enables public service providers—including cities, municipalities and utilities—to remotely monitor and control street and area lights. VantagePoint includes a lighting control module and lighting control software that leverage the Sensus FlexNet™ communication network.

“The Sensus VantagePoint module includes a radio transceiver and meets American National Standards Institute (ANSI) metrology requirements for residential metering accuracy, allowing reporting of actual energy consumption for each streetlight,” said Charlie Nobles, Sensus director of lighting marketing.

The module fits into all National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA) standardized socket fixtures. Since the module supports legacy and LED lights, customers can convert to newer, more energy efficient lighting at their own pace. The module’s self-discovery feature identifies the type of light and adjusts to accommodate its capabilities, such as dimming or flashing.

Data is carried over the FlexNet communication system, a long-range radio network that serves as a dedicated and secure two-way communications highway and requires less infrastructure than competing solutions. Advanced Encryption Standard 256—the gold standard for protecting data—is built into the control module and the FlexNet communication network to provide security far superior to mesh networks.

There are four main benefits of VantagePoint:

• Reduce Operating Costs: Public service providers that once had to deploy crews to find and replace burned out or malfunctioning light fixtures can now view their entire system remotely and proactively dispatch a crew to address maintenance issues.
• Enhance Customer Service: VantagePoint enables public service providers to proactively identify issues and correct them before a customer calls to report an outage or file a complaint.
• Conserve Energy: Streetlights no longer need to be turned on as soon as the sun goes down, but rather, customers can customize them according to their specific needs. For example, a college campus may brighten certain lights when evening classes end rather than keeping them at the same level throughout the night.
• Improve Public Safety: Police officers alerted to suspicious activity can easily flash or brighten streetlights in a specific area to deter criminal behavior—right from a laptop in their patrol cars. Streetlights can be grouped to create safety zones with prescribed lighting profiles to reduce nighttime crime and increase retail traffic.

Public service providers can also take advantage of Sensus’ services portfolio to manage the solution and leverage the most up-to-date software.

“The VantagePoint solution is a robust platform for cities, municipalities and utilities looking to build a smart public services infrastructure,” said Nobles.

Editor's Note: The accompanying infographic depicts the elements of the Sensus VantagePoint solution.