Smart Lighting Management Paves the Way for Predictive Maintenance
Jasper Homma
Smart Sales Manager - Schréder bv
Municipalities are under increasing pressure to manage their public lighting systems reliably and cost-effectively. Reports from residents, inspection rounds and corrective maintenance are time-consuming, while technical staff are increasingly scarce. At the same time, the need for up-to-date information is growing: which luminaires are operational, which are at risk of failure and where safety risks might emerge?
Smart, connected lighting provides the means to gain this daily insight. Today, I will explain how a digital approach to lighting management opens the door to predictive maintenance and a more sustainable and efficient lighting infrastructure.
Why Traditional Management is Reaching its Limits
In recent years, we have focused on making luminaires smarter to address our customers' priorities. Efficient management and maintenance are key, as is sustainability. The challenge for municipal asset managers is to determine which luminaires are operational and to identify the exact nature of any issues. Often, managers must rely on reports from residents before they and their contractors can carry out any necessary repairs. Additionally, many municipalities conduct only one or two inspection rounds per year to prepare for winter. This approach is time-consuming and expensive. Moreover, it is becoming increasingly difficult to recruit technically skilled and experienced personnel.
In smart and connected systems, a controller (often called a 'puck') acts as the system's 'SIM card' and is installed directly on the luminaire. Once activated, it collects a wealth of technical data from various sources and feeds it directly into the management system. This provides a significant advantage: asset managers can perform digital inspections daily with their laptop. By reviewing error messages remotely, they can pinpoint exactly why a luminaire is failing - whether it’s the LED unit, the driver, or a connectivity issue. This enables contractors to arrive on site with the correct parts, ensuring the fault is resolved in a single visit.
Algorithms and Push Notifications
The platform powering the management system also enables process automation. For instance, a manager can be immediately notified if several luminaires fail on the same street.
Within this automated environment, custom algorithms can be defined to prioritise safety. At a motorway junction, for example, a rule could be set so that no more than two luminaires are ever out of order simultaneously.
Push notifications can be linked to these algorithms, automatically alerting the maintenance contractor the moment a specific threshold is met. This creates an optimal balance: lighting uptime is maximised, safety for residents is enhanced and corrective maintenance costs for the municipality are kept to a minimum.
From Problem-Solving to Predictive Maintenance
Data from smart systems will soon allow us to shift from corrective to predictive maintenance. This involves analysing patterns in order to predict system behaviour before a failure occurs.
This is a major priority for our customers. It is not just about whether a luminaire needs replacing; the data can also show, for instance, if a unit is consuming more power than expected. That is often a signal that a component is failing.
To support this, Schréder plans to introduce AI for this purpose in the near future.
With AI, we can better predict potential issues based on probable scenarios, allowing managers to align their maintenance strategies accordingly.
Currently, around 15% of lighting points are “smart”. More municipalities need to understand the value of these systems. For some, the primary benefit is energy savings through advanced dimming. For others, it’s about asset management and gaining a better overview of their infrastructure. For others still, the key driver is improving resident services or streamlining maintenance.
To convince the remaining 85% of the importance of smart lighting, industry are focusing on interoperability. This allows managers to control products from other manufacturers through our system, and vice versa. This is technically possible because of standardisation: both the software and the hardware now use the same protocols. As an industry, we view interoperability as an opportunity rather than a threat.
Knowledge Exchange
At Schréder, we believe that it is important for municipalities to exchange knowledge and experience about smart lighting Cities such as Amsterdam, Tilburg, Enschede and Almere are implementing smart lighting on a large scale and have already gained considerable experience in doing so. They are also open to sharing these insights.
We facilitate this in two ways. Firstly, we organise user days focusing on the platform, product and services. Secondly, we host inspiration days for larger municipalities to showcase the current and future benefits of smart lighting. Predictive maintenance always emerges as a key theme during these sessions.
While the initial focus was on the hardware required to connect a luminaire, the emphasis is now shifting towards the management platform. At Schréder, this platform is called Schréder EXEDRA.
As our software is cloud-based, we can exchange and integrate data seamlessly. For example, we can already integrate weather and traffic information into our solutions This means that lighting can automatically adapt to weather or traffic conditions. We are currently piloting lighting networks that are linked to traffic control systems and emergency services in order to increase safety. This approach is also more sustainable and provides a better service to users. These advancements underscore the critical importance of predictive maintenance, while improving sustainability and user service.
The Asset Manager as Data Strategist
The transition to smart management and maintenance is redefining the role of the asset manager, shifting it towards that of a data strategist.
It becomes truly data-driven work, with planning based on reliable information from the Schréder EXEDRA platform. This enables managers to create an optimal environment that is easy to maintain.
Schréder helps municipalities transitioning to smart lighting to integrate these new processes seamlessly into their own workflows and those of their contractors.We ensure they use the system in a way that aligns with their core priorities and that the platform directly supports their policy goals. This shift reflects the broader transformation within Schréder itself.
In the past, our approach was primarily hardware-driven. Today, we are moving towards service-oriented solutions. This requires a deep understanding of our customers and their specific needs.
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