“A comprehensive solution, with a system for remote monitoring and control of street lighting fleets, thanks to the strength of LoRa® networks”.
When astronomical clocks are synchronised with the LoRa® network
BH Technologies, an innovative company from Grenoble partnered with Datavenue Ready and established in 1998, is one of the high-tech players in France directly involved in the Smart City movement. When it was still known as BHL Électronique, this company sold astronomical clock systems for street lighting control cabinets. This led it to acquire considerable experience and expertise in street lighting fleet management, and become finely attuned to the real needs of local authority customers. Capitalising on this knowledge enabled BH Technologies to broaden its horizons, both in terms of technology and expertise, with the creation of the BH Environment division to provide services for optimising waste collection. As the IoT developed, the company expanded its range of solutions to include connectivity offerings. For example, its core product Radiolite, a socio-astronomical clock, is now equipped with a radio antenna. “We were drawn to LoRa® radio technology because of the many advantages associated with LPWAN solutions”, explains Youssef Et-Tayach, Marketing and Business Manager at BH Technologies. “We have chosen to team up with Orange, whose nationwide LoRa® network means we can reach the largest possible number of local authorities and respond to their needs”.
Optimising lighting switch-on times
BH Technologies’ connected devices send and receive data via the LoRa® network, and are declared on Live Objects, Orange’s open, multi-connectivity IoT platform. The data flows processed on this platform are then fed into the Grenoble SME’s Environment and Lighting business platforms. Customers can monitor their lighting fleets, or waste collectors, via a dedicated portal called LUCE.
For street lighting, this solution facilitates optimised and enhanced monitoring capabilities and processes. Street lighting control becomes dynamic and interactive: the object remotely reports its operating status, switch-on and switch-off times can be programmed and re-programmed, and so on. The IoT layer also doubles as an AI module, with an in-house algorithm that calculates and adjusts brightness based on ambient light, determined in real time using sensors installed around communities. The result: “The benefits lie in its operation. It has an intuitive management platform that you don’t have to be a specialist to master. Switch-on times are optimised and reduced, leading to financial and environmental benefits for cities and local authorities. This also streamlines system maintenance plans, making it possible to schedule on-site technical servicing and therefore avoid unexpected call-outs”.
Helping local authorities make the environmental transition
The added value of the services offered by BH Technologies lies in its extensive knowledge of the field. Building on this, the company has “put together a comprehensive solution, involving three steps, with a view to bringing its local authority customers in line with the Factor Four concept. It starts with the deployment of programmed switch-on/switch-off and synchronised commutation solutions. Then, we focus on making massive energy savings, by replacing inefficient lighting with LED systems or installing dimmers. The final step involves optimising fleet monitoring and remote control, which is where IoT technology and LoRa® connectivity step in and show their true value”.
By utilising Orange’s LoRa® network, BH Technologies can provide efficient and ready-to-use solutions to any local authority in France, especially those who choose to take advantage of the full force of a network that is managed and monitored by a carrier.
