FAQs
Why is this work being done?
Members of the Castle Hill community have supported lighting reductions through
previous Long-Term Plans, to improve viewing the night sky, the stars, and celestial events. This needs to be balanced with the safety and security that street lighting provides to the residents of the village.
The system that is being trialled will allow the village streetlight network to be
remotely controlled to change the brightness or turn the lights off at specific times. The system will also monitor power use and faults in real time allowing more efficient use, better maintenance, and lower power costs.
Along with testing how the system works for Castle Hill Village, this trial will inform
the Council if this should be introduced in other townships across the district. This would only apply to Council-controlled streetlights on its local roads, and not on state highways managed by the New Zealand Transport Agency.
How many lights are being upgraded and when?
All approx. 70 streetlights in Castle Hill have been upgraded with the necessary light control hardware in preparation for linking to the software that will remotely control them. Any new lights subsequently installed will have this capability.
How will it work?
The lights will be individually controlled using light controllers mounted to the existing streetlights that connect to the nearest cellular network.
Through the software the lights can be remotely controlled by Council to dim and/or turn off or on at certain times whilst also linked to the World Astro Clock.
The software also can monitor power use, faults in real time, and AI can also be used to reduce or increase lighting levels based on the use of the streets.
Who is providing this system?
The hardware and software are being provided by a Felicity Smart Infrastructure. The hardware has been installed by the Council’s streetlighting contractor Connetics Ltd.
Felicity Smart Infrastructure already have systems in place across the country including Wellington, New Plymouth, Hamilton, Palmerston North, Napier, and Tasman, and in Kaikoura where the system is in place to support a Dark Sky area.
Why was this not done earlier when our lights were changed to LEDs?
The LED upgrade was part of a district-wide project converting 6,000 old streetlights through joint funding with New Zealand Transport Agency and the Council to upgrade to more efficient LED lighting technology. During this upgrade, it was requested that the bespoke style of streetlights used at Castle Hill were retained and a warmer and softer LED light level was used compared to elsewhere in the district.
The bespoke nature of the Castle Hill Village streetlights means no sockets currently exist to allow controllers to be installed and these were needed to be retro fitted.
The trial of the central management system was budgeted for as part of the 2024-2034 Long-Term Plan in response to submissions from the community.
What if I don’t like the way the system works?
We want to work with Castle Hill Village users to make this system run well for you. As this is a trial, we will learn as we go and determine how best to align with village needs. Once the system is in place, we will test it based on the feedback we receive through this survey.
However, we will continue to take feedback through our usual contact channels including by emailing contactus@selwyn.govt.nz or via the free Snap Send Solve app.
Can you change the level of the light outside my house?
We are trying to keep all the lights at a consistent, managed level across the village.
So, while it is possible to change light settings, we will not be adjusting individual
streetlights to suit each homeowner, unless there is a justifiable need.