The workshop aimed to bring academics and other stakeholders together to discuss the potential and relevance of using decision support tools for smart and sustainable public lighting. 29 delegates from industry and academia in the UK and Europe attended the workshop at the Doubletree by Hilton, Southampton.
The event was chaired by Djamila Ouelhadj, Professor of Operational Research and Analytics at the University of Portsmouth, and featured talks from several keynote speakers with direct involvement in the SLIC project and expertise in smart and sustainable lighting solutions.
Dr Hassana Abdullahi, Research Fellow in Applied Operational Research for the SLIC project at the School of Mathematics and Physics, University of Portsmouth, presented the SLIC decision support tool. The tool has been developed by the University of Portsmouth and is designed to support policy and technology decision-makers, taking into account different locations as well as the evaluation of economic, environmental, and social sustainability impacts.
As one of the main aims of the workshop was to get feedback from the stakeholders on the design and outputs of the decision support tool, a live demonstration of the support tool was given.
After the presentations, Professor Djamila led a panel discussion which proved useful in collecting feedback on the design of the decision support tool.
The workshop concluded with a useful roundtable session where participants were divided into three groups according to their area of expertise. The aim of the roundtable discussions was to exchange knowledge and gain insights on the decision support tool, as well as to discuss the economic, environmental and social key performance indicators the use and implementation of smart public lighting.
The workshop was very successful in providing an understanding into smart lightning potentials and developments within the lighting industry in the UK and the EU. It was an excellent opportunity for academics and stakeholders alike to come together to share their ideas and find out more about the exciting innovations taking place within the industry. It also showcased the potential that decision support tools have in assisting the decision-making process when selecting public lighting technologies, and highlighting the collaborative efforts taking place in the sector.
The SLIC project
The Smart Lights Concept (SLIC) Project is funded by EU Interreg 2-Seas and aims to innovate techniques, methods and tools used for energy savings, energy efficiency and renewable energy use in public lighting. The SLIC Project decision support tool is designed to help decision-makers implement smart public lighting technologies.
The SLIC project involves nine partners from across the UK and Europe who are collaborating on four primary research themes (funding models and business cases, proven lighting technologies, stakeholder involvement, and safety and crime evaluation).
The University of Portsmouth is joined on the project with the Avans University of Applied Sciences, together with the Bruges, Mechelen and Veurne municipalities in Belgium, the Municipality of Amiens in France, Etten-Leur in the Netherlands, and Suffolk County Council, UK.
The workshop was a great opportunity for understanding, bringing together, quantification and monetisation of the sustainability indicators for public lighting. This will aid in taking further steps in the design and development of the decision support tool. The workshop also provided a great channel for sharing information on smart and sustainable public lighting and how managing authorities can make better decisions regarding the use of carbon-efficient public lighting without hefty investment costs and without harming its citizens and the environment.