VEGAS GETS THE GREEN LIGHT
16 Mar 2016
Sin City – the most ‘lit’ city in the world – is set to up the ante on their commitment to renewable energy infrastructure with the installation of innovative solar- and people-powered streetlights.
Las Vegas is gambling on green, making a big bet on clean energy with a plan to go 100 percent renewable. Most recently, a massive new solar plant in the Nevada desert went online. The Crescent Dunes concentrated solar power project is providing power to Sin City around the clock. In the future, solar-kinetic street lights will add to the sustainable energy mix thanks to a partnership between the City of Las Vegas and NYC-based EnGoPLANET (formerly Volta Group), a clean tech startup with a focus on off-the-grid lighting solutions and portable solar devices.
EnGoPLANET is set to install the solar-kinetic lights at Boulder Plaza, which it claims will be the first ever installation in the world of the technology. The street lights are powered by pedestrian footsteps; energy is harvested every time someone steps on the kinetic pads strategically placed in front of each street light. There are also solar cells placed on top of each LED streetlight, along with motion sensors that allow for light on demand.
Smart sensors that monitor air quality and traffic as well as video surveillance and water detection will also be deployed. The LED lights can change colors for special occasions and there is a wireless charging and WiFi hot spot for smart devices, along with two USB ports.
“Currently, streetlights in the world release more than 100 million tons of CO2 per year. Our generation has the moral responsibility to transform our energy system. EnGoPLANET’s Street Light will revolutionise the way we illuminate streets. It will reduce CO2 emission, lower maintenance bill and with many new features, it will make cities smarter,” Petar Mirovic, CEO of EnGoPLANET, said in a statement.
Las Vegas Mayor Carolyn G Goodman added, “The city of Las Vegas is a leader in sustainability, from our commitment to renewable energy to recycling, our alternative-fuel vehicles and streetlights. We are always interested in exploring new technologies that can help us to preserve our city for future generations.”