Parvis Sainte-Alix
SHUFFLE meets the challenge of providing EV charging points for residents in Woluwe-Saint-Pierre
The Parvis Sainte-Alix in Woluwe-Saint-Pierre is a pleasant square with a modern church, surrounded by elegant houses in a wooded setting that gives it a welcoming atmosphere.
The local authorities in Woluwe-Saint-Pierre are committed to becoming a smart city by integrating existing and future smart technologies into the community. They have developed a Smart City strategy that aims to improve the quality of life for its residents and build a more sustainable future.
Smart City technology to meet the challenges
As part of this strategy, the local authorities decided to replace the town’s old street lights which were fitted with traditional discharge lamps with more energy-efficient LED luminaires.
At the same time, the local authorities had noticed that the number of electric vehicles in the town was increasing every year. In fact, the Belgian Federation for Cars and Two-Wheelers (FEBIAC) predicts that sales of electric cars will overtake those of diesel cars as early as 2023 and that fully electric cars will account for 65% of the new car market by 2030. As more electric cars means the need for more charging stations, the local authorities decided to take action and install stations in its public spaces. One of the first areas that they identified was the Parvis Sainte-Alix.
They were looking for a solution that would:
- integrate lighting, EV charging points and other functions;
- reduce the energy consumption of public lighting;
- connect to Sibelga’s (lighting operator) platform;
- blend in harmoniously with the green environment around the square and
- enhance its heritage.
Sibelga proposed our SHUFFLE smart pole to meet the different challenges. This versatile column offers a modular approach to urban equipment to meet the complex needs of cities.
Energy-efficient ambient and accent lighting in a single pole
The project managers were impressed by the sober, elegant design of this smart pole, which blends in perfectly with the green surroundings. A total of 22 SHUFFLE smart poles were installed throughout the square. All are equipped with a 360° lighting module that delivers an uniform illumination to ensure safety and create a pleasant public space in the evening.
In addition, 18 of the smart poles also integrate a 180° lighting module to enhance the magnificent façade of the Saint Alix church and other features on the square.
Recharge electric cars via lighting infrastructure
As the SHUFFLE was designed with a modular approach to integrate numerous functions in addition to lighting, the town decided to equip 4 of the 22 SHUFFLE smart poles with an EV charging station. This enables residents who do not have a charging point at home or those out in the town centre to recharge their electric cars, without cluttering the public space.
By integrating the charging points in the SHUFFLE pole, the local authorities also saved money as they did not have to undertake any major roadworks or invest in electric cabins.
Data collection; key for a Smart City strategy
By replacing the old street lights with 150W traditional discharge lamps with 60W LED luminaires, the town will have energy savings of over 60%.
In addition, all of the luminaires have been fitted with nodes on their NEMA sockets so that they can be controlled by our Schréder EXEDRA smart lighting platform. All of the data collected by our system is sent to the Sibelga platform via the TALQ protocol.
The data collected allows them to assess energy consumption and easily identify if a luminaire has a default and requires intervention. Sibelga’s main objective at the moment is to collect as much data as possible from the entire network. The open, interoperable Schréder EXEDRA platform enables them to feed information about the luminaires back into the platform they use, so that in the future they can adapt the lighting levels to real needs and, more generally, make strategic decisions about smart city management.
Scalable infrastructure to meet changing needs
Thanks to this new smart pole, the local authorities can use the public lighting infrastructure to:
- provide a charging solution for electric cars;
- reduce its energy consumption;
- collect data for future lighting management;
- make public spaces more user-friendly after dark;
- highlight the richness of its heritage.
And that’s not all! Thanks to the versatility of SHUFFLE, the town can integrate extra modules with features like cameras, loudspeakers, WiFi hotspots or intercoms, depending on its future needs.