Smart cities employ internet-connected devices and real-time data to enhance the efficiency and safety of crowded urban centers. Urban populations are growing rapidly. In fact, according to the United Nations, the global urban population is expected to grow to 68% by 2050. Urban population growth could add another 2.5 billion people to cities by 2050, with much of this growth being seen in Asia and Africa.
As a result, cities will become increasingly crowded and inefficient. In response to urban population growth, we will need to make cities smart. The growth of Smart Cities presents a significant market opportunity for IoT as these devices can be used to monitor traffic patterns and manage traffic lights, allowing us to improve traffic flow in busy cities. Similarly, IoT devices could be deployed in cities to give updated information regarding parking in the city or, support a security camera in a city to help reduce crime and enhance safety. Smart street lighting including motion sensors can also help improve the safety of citizens and track foot traffic.
By leveraging IoT devices and the data they provide, we can make more informed decisions about how to best manage our cities. The broad range of applications which IoT devices have for Smart Cities indicates the major potential for growth. However, ensuring the reliability of such mission-critical devices will be essential. When a community depends on a security camera for safety, reliability is of utmost importance.
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Installing IoT for Smart Cities using grid power will lead to high upfront installation costs. The required trenching and cabling will be costly and disruptive to the surrounding area.
The electricity grid in many major cities is old and heavily strained. The aging grid may not be able to meet the increased power demand from the development of Smart Cities.
IoT devices in Smart Cities perform mission-critical
functions. Downtime due to unreliable grid power cannot be afforded when the
safety of citizens depends on IoT devices.
Downtime due to grid failures will result in costly maintenance site visits to bring these IoT devices back online. Remote management through Smart Off-Grid power is crucial for limiting downtime and minimizing maintenance costs.
Clear Blue’s Smart Off-Grid solution is perfectly positioned to meet the challenges of Smart City development. Whether deployed as part of an Illumient Smart Off-Grid street light, as a larger independent off-grid system like the Nano-Grid Power Pack or as a smaller system with Pico-Grid, Clear Blue's Smart Off-Grid technology ensures reliable power, no matter what the IoT needs are. Clear Blue’s Illumience cloud software enables real-time data collection and system monitoring for IoT applications. Through Illumience, users can monitor, operate, and manage their IoT systems remotely. Remote management allows maximum uptime and reliability to be delivered. With IoT applications that are highly mission-critical, remote system management is essential to ensure reliability.
Who is involved in harnessing Smart Off-Grid power for Smart City applications?
Municipalities will use IoT to improve the efficiency and safety of their cities. IoT can help improve the provision of public services in cities.
IoT will play an important role in how cities are planned and optimized in the future.
Private businesses will also be involved in the development of smart cities by employing various IoT applications.
