PISCATAWAY, N.J., Dec. 06, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Zhaga Consortium launched the global Zhaga Smart City Sensor Awards in mid-September to address the needs for innovative sensors of the many cities that have installed Zhaga-D4i certified streetlights. The awards encourage and recognize excellence in smart city sensors that can be installed on streetlights using the Zhaga Book 18 standard and are suitable for Zhaga-D4i certification. The submission date has now been extended. Sensor manufacturers, innovators as well as universities and students are encouraged to submit their applications by 3 March 2023.
Numerous discussions at recent events like the Light+Building in Frankfurt, the Street and Area Lighting Conference in Dallas and the Smart City Expo World Congress in Barcelona have identified a significant number of sensor makers that did not previously know about the awards and would benefit from more time to prepare their submissions. Therefore, the submission deadline has been extended. The Zhaga Consortium is also taking this opportunity to remind sensor manufacturers and other potential respondents that submissions for products in development are not only allowed but strongly encouraged.
Over the last 7 years, the Zhaga Consortium has created and further developed a new universal platform for streetlighting connectivity by offering Zhaga Book 18 titled “Smart interface between outdoor luminaires and sensing / communication modules” to the market. This platform allows streetlights to be the backbone of smart cities.
Streetlights are regularly positioned, secure, powered and in a great location for many sensing tasks and for communications. Zhaga’s Book 18 takes this further by standardising the mechanical interface, intra-luminaire communication protocol and power budget for control devices. Zhaga also creates a new market opportunity for smart city sensors. With over 200 families of Zhaga-D4i luminaires from some of the world’s leading manufacturers already certified, streetlights become the cheapest and most practical way for city-wide deployment of smart sensors.
Zhaga Book 18 brings standardisation to sensors that can be installed on streetlights. The D4i protocol brings common communication. The Zhaga-D4i program, supported by logo use, offers the comfort of a global certification regime. The relatively recent Book 18 Edition 3 also opens up this opportunity to those parts of the world that are more comfortable with ANSI/NEMA-based lighting controls, yet who still wish to add Zhaga-based smart city sensors to streetlights.
Commercial participants who win an award will receive international public recognition via an article in a leading lighting publication and via Zhaga social media channels. They will also be entitled to make specific reference to the awards in marketing material. Students and researchers from recognised educational institutions are eligible for a 2000€ prize. Runner-ups will receive a digital certificate.
Smart city sensors under the following categories: mobility, climate, pollutants, sound, lighting controls, multi-sensors, innovation, and research, can be submitted to the international jury by 3 March 2023. The winners will be announced in April 2023.
The Zhaga Smart City Sensor Awards are explained in detail here: https://www.zhagastandard.org/zhaga-smartcitysensor-awards.html
For further information, please contact Axel Baschnagel, Marketing Communications, marcom@zhagastandard.org.
About Zhaga
Zhaga is a global association of lighting industry members. Zhaga standardizes interface specifications for LED luminaire components, including LED light engines, LED modules, LED arrays, holders, electronic control gear (LED drivers), connectors, sensor and/or wireless communication modules and associated devices. The Zhaga interface standards enable multi-vendor ecosystem of interoperable products. To create trust in the interoperability of products from multiple vendors Zhaga has a certification and logo-program executed by third party test houses. Through its focus on interoperability, Zhaga contributes to circularity lighting via smart, connected lighting and serviceable luminaires, supporting the UN Sustainable Development Goal 11 for sustainable cities and communities. Zhaga has set up a partner and liaison program, working with recognized Standards Development Organisations and Alliances to maximise synergies, leverage external expertise and global acceptance.
For more information, visit www.zhagastandard.org.
Contact:
Katherine Valenti
k.valenti@ieee.org
A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/bc0b26df-97c6-4cfd-87a0-a7ee12bb62ee
