PLANS submitted for a Warrington street show what the future of street lighting could hold.
An application has been sent to Warrington Borough Council’s planning department for the replacement and upgrade of lamp post heads at Firecrest Court.
It is proposed that street light heads on existing poles on the street, located at Centre Park near the town centre, will be swapped for futuristic units with built-in wind turbines and solar panels.
Documents submitted by applicant BGEN state that the units include batteries which are recharged by renewable solar and wind energy.
To save energy, the street lights use motion detection whereby they will only be on full power when required, illuminating the surrounding area up to a 20m diameter.
The proposed new street light. Picture: SCC/Autonomous AiOT
The units are equipped as standard with a motion sensor which sets the unit into power saving mode to conserve energy.
When activated by nearby movement, the lights will illuminate the surrounding area, thereby extending both the LED and battery life.
The lights only use mains power to charge the batteries if ever required, with wind and solar energy always the primary source for charging during daylight hours.
The document adds that the units can have added extras such as Wi-Fi hotspots, CCTV, ‘smart parking’, digital advertising and more.
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