Smart Lighting Mesh-Type Network: Backbone Infrastructure for Internet of Things Energy Metering Development for Smart Cities

This article presents a robust solution based on an IEEE 802.15.4 Internet Protocol (IP) v6 low-rate wireless personal area network (6LoWPAN) mesh-type network protocol for Internet of Things (IoT)-based power-constrained devices. Previous solutions for smart city communication infrastructures were based on star-shaped networks using low-rank adaptation (LoRA) radio and mesh-type networks following the Zigbee standard. Nevertheless, neither solution could be deemed the most suitable for large-scale deployments in smart cities, as they were unsuitable for lossy environments or lacked proper robustness. The proposed solution, which also offers a unique opportunity to use lighting devices as access points in a broader smart city backbone, has been tested in the city of Gijón, Spain, where 60% of the conventional streetlight luminaires were replaced or retrofitted by smart lighting devices, totaling nearly 20,000 lighting points. Retrofitting was used in cases where the lamp design could not be replaced. While the former structure was maintained, internal nodes were fitted with modern LED drivers. The communication protocol allows full control of the connected luminaires, and a dimming profile was implemented in different parts of the city. Results show seamless integration between the central management system (CMS) and the smart city environment, along with a reduction in energy consumption of nearly 25%. The network design also provides insightful feedback to identify the system’s performance. Extending this solution to smart metering applications requiring near-real-time data processing with a small to moderate data rate offers a reliable and cost-effective application for backbone infrastructure using lighting poles as access points.