U.S. utilities pursue Smart Grid network for LED street lights

FPL networked street lights expand to 500,000 across 35 counties, using Silver Spring Networks IoT, smart grid controls, and LED dimming to boost reliability, energy efficiency, safety, and smart city capabilities for utilities and responders.

REDWOOD CITY, California – Recently, Silver Spring Networks, Inc. announced that some of the largest utilities in the United States are expanding their networked street light deployments and initiating new street light and smart city projects with Silver Spring.

Florida Power & Light FPL, already working with Silver Spring on North America’s largest networked street light project under contract, alongside its FPL smart grid initiatives, expanded its program from 75,000 street lights to nearly 500,000 street lights across its 35 county service territory statewide.

FPL will also leverage the vendor's software and its smart grid program expertise to control and manage the networked street lights. The FPL connected street light initiative is believed to be the largest networked street lights program under contract in the world.

Silver Spring also announced that additional industry leaders including Baltimore Gas & Electric BG&E, ComEd, and Pepco Holdings Inc. PHI are partnering with the vendor on networked street light and smart city technology projects, amid ongoing meter deals across the utility sector.

“Networked street lights have great potential to benefit our customers,” said Manny Miranda, Vice President of Power Delivery for Florida Power & Light. “As we expand our program to nearly 500,000 lights, Silver Spring’s technology enables FPL to help improve the reliability and efficiency of our street light network while also supporting the ongoing performance of our smart grid.”

“We are excited about the benefits these smart street lights can deliver to our customers and our communities, as seen in San Jose Green Vision pilots today. By connecting street lights to our network, we can dim them at the right time to reduce usage and save money, and brighten them to help create safer streets – we can even give emergency responders the ability to control street lights on-demand,” said Anne Pramaggiore, President and CEO of ComEd.

“We’re excited to partner with FPL and many more of our utility clients, including PPL smart grid pilot projects, as they continue to lead the industry forward. In much the same way that we pioneered infrastructure modernization efforts through the smart grid, Silver Spring technology is helping improve the reliability, efficiency, and quality of service of their street light networks,” said Scott Lang, Chairman, President and CEO, Silver Spring Networks. “Silver Spring’s multi-application platform allows utilities to both strengthen their existing smart grid infrastructure and unlock new benefits from a networked street light grid, while also establishing a foundation for additional smart city applications and services that can be added in the future.”

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