Light sensors

Light sensors

Light sensors are used with GridLight™ to ensure the light is turned on safely when the weather requires it. So with the build in programs in the AmsCPU/AmsCPU-IO combining astronomical calculations with the weather condition will bring the highest comfort and safety throughout the city. The analog light sensor may be programmed to disregard any commands from the light sensors until, e.g. one hour before sunrise and sunset. This will ensure that the streetlights cannot be turned off in the night if someone tampers with the light sensors.

GridLight™ supports both analog light sensors and digital light sensors. The difference are that analog light sensors can have the lux levels to be adjusted from the user interface but the digital light sensor must be adjusted at the light sensor. We recommend the use of analog light sensors provided by Amplex as they have been tested in a large number of cities over many years. Amplex does not provide digital light sensors as they are more expensive and complicated to use. Analog light sensor installation can be studied in the data sheet. To add a digital light sensor, please see the schematics.

With GridLight™ only a few strategically placed light sensors are nessesary for an entire city. Put a light sensor in each area of the city where weather changes individually. Such areas can be a hilly suburb, the harbour/waterfront and so on. GridLight™ will manage to turn on/off all the lights in the area according to the corresponding light sensors (com- bined with the astronomical calendar and the programming you have set up). Having typically less than 5 would normally cover even larger cities.

Not having a light sensor in each cabinet is a great saving with regard to keeping the sensors clean and functional. But more important malfunctioning and dirty light sen- sors causes the light to turn on to early and off to late. This gives to many burn hours and wastes energy. Amplex has retrofitted many cities with light sensors on each cabinet reducing them to less than a handful. The result has been 8-15% energy savings.