On 28 November 2019, representatives of LUCIA municipalities came together on a study visit to DOLL Living Lab and their visitor centre in Albertslund, Denmark. DOLL is a consortium which connects manufacturers, public decision makers and knowledge institutions. Its aim is to develop liveable, sustainable and resource efficient communities through the application of technology. The Living Lab is an innovative playground, offering demonstration and test of intelligent outdoor lighting solutions and smart city technologies.
Exchanging ideas and getting inspired
The aim of this meetup was to give the people working with urban lighting in LUCIA’s pilot municipalities an overview on commercially available state-of-the-art lighting technologies, solutions and their functionalities. The implementation of energy efficient technology starts from raising awareness and increasing the knowledge of the people behind it. The meeting was a good opportunity for municipalities to share their experience, everyday problems and vision regarding energy efficient urban lighting. “Visiting DOLL and meeting all the pilot project representatives was a great opportunity to exchange ideas, and get inspired – and ultimately share it with the wider LUCIA network”, says Tarmo Korõtko from Tallinn University of Technology, coordinator of LUCIA’s pilot site activities.
Diverse participant group from six countries
The participants of the meeting included municipalities from Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Latvia and Russia. The institutions represented were:
- the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg – Borough of Altona,
- Porvoon Sähköverkko Oy,
- City of Porvoo,
- the Urban Environment and Public Works Department of the city of Tallinn,
- Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University,
- the City council of Jūrmala,
- and Gate 21 as a representative of the municipality of Albertslund.
The diversity of the participating municipalities is impressive. It spans from large and heavily standardized municipalities to small and flexible institutions.
Sif Enevold and Kim Brostrøm from Gate 21 launched the official programme. The participants received a thorough overview about the history of the DOLL Living Lab, its key activities and services. Jens Hammer delivered a thorough presentation about motion sensor technologies currently installed at DOLL. Kim, who gave insight into how supporting technologies for urban lighting solutions are part of a larger Smart City ecosystem, concluded the first part of the day.
Witnessing state-of-the-art technology in real life
After lunch, the visiting delegation was given a guided tour through the Living Lab. Participants could see how different lighting solutions fit into the urban landscape. Witnessing state-of -the-art technology put to use in real life is building trust to do the same back at home. During the tour, participants could see different technologies from different vendors. They got a good understanding about key aspects to consider when implementing similar solutions.
The last part of the meeting was used to discuss various matters regarding the LUCIA project. Participating municipalities discussed various topics. These included means to achieve interoperability of lighting systems from different vendors, ways to enforce cybersecurity and the main obstacles in implementing state-of-the-art technologies.
In conclusion, the LUCIA expert meeting and study visit was successful in answering some pressing issues for several participants. All municipalities were eager to use the chance to discuss various nuances regarding their everyday activities with each other. The meeting was an inspiring event for all, thanks to the great team at DOLL and the LUCIA project partner Gate 21.
