Lucy Zodion Vizion CMS solution for Bolton Borough Council
Background
Bolton Metropolitan Borough Council has worked with Lucy Zodion for fifteen years purchasing via procurement, materials including Ballasts, Photo-Electric Control units (PECUs), Double Pole Cut-Outs and Central Management System (CMS) equipment.
As a consequence of the Climate Change Act 2008, all Local Authorities are under great pressure form The Government to reduce CO2, to which end Carbon Trading commenced in April 2011. Government targets in relation to Carbon emissions are 34% by 2020 and 80% by 2050.
The Bolton Metropolitan Borough Council street lighting equates to around 21% of the councils overall energy bill.
Solution
Bolton Metropolitan Borough Council is working with Lucy Zodion to successfully deliver the Central Management System project using its Vizion system.
Lucy Zodion’s Vizion central management system uses wireless technology to manage, monitor and control street lighting. It acts as a communication system for controlling street lighting via the internet as well as serving as a monitoring tool, so that Bolton Metropolitan Borough Council can see where there may be potential problems.
For example, the remote monitoring and reporting function identifies any faulty or failing lights remotely, this enables Bolton Metropolitan Borough Council to be able to plan efficiently and effectively the maintenance regimes. It also minimises manual night scouting.
Other advantages are that the Vizion system minimises day burners and uses the WiMAC technology for controlling school flashers and Christmas decorations, especially LED Pea Lights. Furthermore Lucy Zodion’s Vizion system is also able to produce reports to include details about efficiency savings and energy consumption.
As part of its targets to reduce CO2, Bolton Metropolitan Borough Council has 15,100 existing lanterns that can be retrofitted. By purchasing the necessary variable lighting level ballasts, nodes, collectors and server, Bolton Metropolitan Borough Council is able to deliver 46% of stock over a period of four years thus resulting in a carbon saving of approximately 1,466 tonnes.
The remaining stock of 18,554 lanterns will be reviewed over the next three years these are expected to result in a carbon saving of approximately 965 tonnes.
Results
To date 3,351 nodes and 63 Collectors have been delivered over a period of fifteen months. Phase two consisting of a further 4,500 units will start imminently.
Using Lucy Zodion’s Vizion system has resulted in significant carbon and energy savings using the WiMAC technology from day one of installation. The response from the public has been positive with no problems reported from either the installation or in relation to the variable lighting levels decreasing.
Bolton Metropolitan Borough Council is now one of the leading Authorities using this technology in Greater Manchester and reaping the benefits in terms of cost savings. In a bid to share these benefits with other Local Authorities, six weekly partnership meetings are held between Bolton Metropolitan Borough Council and Lucy Zodion to which other Authorities are invited to attend to share processes and practice.
Integration with the local meter administrator is underway. This method of transferring the energy use data from the Vizion CMS to Meter Administrators has been well established with Lucy Zodion and approved by Elexon. This automation of the energy submission will allow Bolton to benefit from ‘real time’ energy changes as and when they choose to alter them.
