Alfred Priess A/S
Intelligent solar cell light columns from Alfred Priess A/S
July 8, 2016
EKTOS A/S has developed controllers for Alfred Priess A/S for their eco-friendly light columns.
The Danish company Alfred Priess A/S originates in Vinderup near Holstebro, but today the company sheds its light in several parts of the world with its energy efficient, designed street lighting solutions.
Alfred Priess has just launched a new product range of solar cell lighting columns and in collaboration with Priess, EKTOS has helped develop a controller based on the wish for having more functionality at a lower cost.
The new solar cell lighting columns from Priess communicate together in a mesh network using 868 MHz, so they can send data between each other. The masts have Wi-Fi access which means that the lamp’s energy consumption can be easily monitored and the light profiles can be updated without physically visiting the lamp.
Energy-efficient lighting
The solar cell lighting columns are equipped with sensors that can measure the activity on the street and regulate the brightness accordingly. If there is no traffic, the columns can reduce their energy consumption to a minimum, and reversely, when a column detects a cyclist or pedestrian, it will send a signal to the next column on the line telling it to light brighter.
Solar cell lighting columns from Priess store energy from the sun during the daylight hours and uses this to light up in the dark. The amount of solar energy, it is possible utilize has increased significantly in recent years, Ole Søndergaard, Product Manager at Priess says: “Time is on our side. When I started working for Priess in 2011, our solar cells were utilizing 12.9% of the sun’s energy, but today’s solar cells are able to utilize 19.6%. ”
Ole Søndergaard adds that it is not only the solar cells, which have become more efficient, “Our LED lamps have also become much more efficient as well – five years ago they could deliver between 75-85 lumens per. watt, but today they can deliver up to 140 lumens per. watt. ”
Smart and cost effective solutions
Cooperation between Alfred Priess A/S and EKTOS A/S has been based on the common perception that the quality of technical solutions should be reached at a reasonable price. “We have sought technical solutions that would be cheaper than previous products but with higher performance and more technologies included. For example, our controller delivers four times as much power with its 250 watt output versus the 65 watts in the past,” says Project Manager at EKTOS, Jacob Eisenhardt. Jacob adds that the modular structure of the developed solution allows Priess to mount only the relevant modules of a light column instead of having to install an entire package, where some components will not be used.
“We have sought technical solutions that would be cheaper than previous products but with higher performance and more technologies included”, says Project Manager at EKTO Jacob Eisenhardt.
Log on to a lamp
It is possible to monitor each column online in order to see how much energy the solar cells produce, how much the LED driver is using, and how much energy it takes to charge the batteries. With this knowledge, it is possible to adjust the light profiles for each lamp in order to ensure that the energy is optimally utilized – this is possible without the help of a technician.
“Configuring the software requires a visit at each lamp, but with Near Field Communication on a smartphone it is easy to perform this update by simply placing the phone close to the mast,” explains Jacob Eisenhardt.
Effective troubleshooting
EKTOS conducted HALT testing (Highly Accelerated Life Testing) on the developed product in order to quickly identify the weaknesses of both hardware and software. “We found a weakness in our first prototype, which would only have shown itself after several years of use, but because we could accelerate the effects of stress from the environment, we had the opportunity to improve the prototype before it was put into production,” says type test manager at EKTOS Morten Skov Hansen.
Solar cell lighting columns from Priess can be found along several roads and trails in Denmark, but Priess’ largest customers are currently in the Netherlands and the Middle East. The new solar cell columns that EKTOS has helped develop controllers for will be erected in Abu Dhabi, where they can be seen from May 2016.
Vi har sammen med Alfred Priess A/S udviklet en styring med mere fuktionalitet til en lavere pris.
Den danske virksomhed Alfred Priess A/S har oprindelse og hovedkontor i Vinderup ved Holstebro, men i dag spreder virksomheden lys i flere verdensdele med sine energieffektive, designede produkter til gadebelysning.
Alfred Priess har netop lanceret en ny produktrække af solcellemaster, og EKTOS har i samarbejde med Priess været med til at udvikle en styring ud fra et ønske om at få mere funktionalitet for en lavere pris.
De nye solcellemaster fra Priess kommunikerer sammen i et mesh-netværk, der anvender 868 MHz, så de kan sende data mellem hinanden. Masterne har Wi-Fi-adgang, hvilket betyder, at lampens energiforbrug nemt kan monitoreres og lysprofilerne opdateres uden fysisk at besøge masten.
Energieffektiv belysning
Solcellemasterne er udstyrret med sensorer, der kan måle aktivitet på gaden og regulerer lysstyrken derefter. Er der ingen trafik, kan masten nedsætte sit energiforbrug til et minimum, men registrerer en mast til gengæld, at en cyklist eller fodgænger passerer, sender masten signal til den næste mast på strækningen om, at den skal skrue op for lysstyrken.
Solcellemasterne fra Priess lagrer energi fra solen i de lyse timer og udnytter denne til at lyse op i de mørke. Mængden af energi, det i dag er muligt at udnytte fra solen, er steget markant gennem de seneste år, fortæller Ole Søndergaard, produktchef hos Priess: ”Tiden er på vores side. Da jeg startede med at arbejde for Priess i 2011, kunne vores solceller udnytte 12,9% af solens energi, men i dag er solcellerne i stand til at udnytte 19,6%.”
Ole Søndergaard tilføjer, at det ikke blot er solcellerne, der er blevet mere effektive: ”Vores LED-lamper er også blevet langt mere effektive – for fem år siden kunne de afgive mellem 75-85 lumen pr. watt, men i dag kan de afgive op til 140 lumen pr. watt.”
Gennemtænkte og kosteffektive løsninger
Samarbejdet mellem Alfred Priess A/S og EKTOS A/S har taget udgangspunkt i en fælles opfattelse af, at kvaliteten af tekniske løsninger godt kan sikres til en fornuftig pris. ”Vi er gået efter tekniske løsninger, der skulle være billigere end i tidligere produkter men med højere ydeevne og flere teknologier inkluderet. For eksempel kan vores styring levere fire gange højere effekt med 250 watt output versus de 65 watt førhen,” fortæller projektleder hos EKTOS, Jacob Eisenhardt. Jacob tilføjer, at den modulære opbygning gør det muligt for Priess kun at montere de relevante moduler i en mast frem for at skulle montere en samlet pakke, hvor nogle af komponenterne ikke bruges.
”Vi er gået efter tekniske løsninger, der skulle være billigere end i tidligere produkter men med højere ydeevne og flere teknologier inkluderet.” Jacob Eisenhardt, EKTOS
Log på en lampe
Det er muligt at monitorere hver mast online og se, hvor megen energi solcellerne producerer, og hvor meget LED-driveren og indladningen til batterierne bruger. Med denne viden kan lysprofilen til hver lampe justeres, så den udnytter energien optimalt, uden det er nødvendigt for en tekniker at tage ud til masten.
”Konfiguration af softwaren kræver dog et besøg ved hver mast, men med Near Field Communication på en smartphone er det nemt at foretage denne opdatering ved blot at holde telefonen hen til masten”, forklarer Jacob Eisenhardt.
Koncentreret fejlfinding
EKTOS gennemførte en HALT-test (Highly Accelerated Life Testing) for hurtigt at kunne synliggøre svagheder ved både hardware og software. ”Vi fandt en svaghed i vores første prototype, som først ville have vist sig efter flere år, men fordi vi kunne fremskynde effekten af stress fra miljøet, havde vi mulighed for at forbedre prototypen inden den blev sat i produktion,” fortæller typetestmanager hos EKTOS, Morten Skov Hansen.
Solcellemasterne fra Priess kan findes langs flere veje og stier i danske kommuner, men Priess’ største kunder er i dag i Holland og i Mellemøsten. De nye solcellemaster, som EKTOS har været med til at udvikle styringer til, skal som udgangspunkt opstilles i Abu Dhabi, hvor de kan opleves fra maj 2016.
