CHAPTER 1

Introduction

In today’s era, energy preservation is the most discussed topic in every

research and article throughout the world. A low consumption of electrical
energy is the major priority of all, so many researchers and inventors are
seeking for a good solution and a way to apply it in the community. In reality,
not all places in a city need the same intensity of light brightness of street
lights, some street lights must be intelligently controlled in order to save
electric power. In fact, electricity is very expensive in the Philippines.
Electricity rate turned P10.56 per kWh ($0.20 USD) and it is a real massive
problem amongst the Filipinos.

This project- Energy Saving Street Light System will make a big change in
controlling street lights around the world. In applying this system, street lights
will be automatically turning on when needed and turn off when not, by means
of sensors and computer hardware. It can help to reduce crime and
unsafeness and this is not only for conserving the energy, but also for a safe
and pleasant city.

Background of the Study

As early as 500 years BC, people of Peking get natural gas on volcano
gas leaks and led it through bamboo pipes to the streets to serve as a fuel for
street lamps. An Era of more efficient street lightning starts with William
Murdock who lit the outside of the Soho Foundry in a public presentation with
a gas light fuel with coal gas for the first time in 1802. By 1881, some 4000
were in use, replacing gas lanterns on the poles. After the spreading of the
arc lamps in the United States, by 1890 there were more than 130,000 arc
lamps installed as streetlights. Today, streetlights use LED street lighting
system and of course, smart lighting using advanced technology like sensors
and different microcontrollers.
Theoretical Framework

The first law is Planck's law; it describes the spectral density of

electromagnetic radiation emitted by a blackbody in thermal equilibrium at a
given temperature. Second, the Stefan-Boltzmann law, state that the total
radiant heat energy emitted from a surface is proportional to the
fourth power of its absolute temperature. Lastly, the Wien's displacement
law. states that the black body radiation curve for different temperature peaks
at a wavelength is inversely proportional to the temperature. However, it had
been discovered by Wilhelm Wien several years before Max
Planck developed that more general equation, and describes the entire shift
of the spectrum of black body radiation toward shorter wavelengths as
temperature increases.

Conceptual Framework

Performance

Motion Object Surroundings

Color Humidity and

Brightness

The research paper shows how different variables affect the performance
of the project Energy Saving Street Light System. First, sensors detect motion
for it to work. Second, the color of an object can affect the function of the
project. Lastly, sensors from streetlights are depending on its surroundings.

Statement of the Problem

Since then a lot of things have changed. Gas-fired lamps were replaced
by durable and energy conserving electrical lamps, and the process of turning
on and off the lights has become automated. Streetlight is very important to
us - it offers safety and comfort at night. However, some lighting systems put
a serious problem in the society it stands. First, the high consumption of
electrical energy leads to a high level of noxious emissions. Second, if we
have a high consumption of that energy, paying electric bills will turn high.
Lastly, some streetlights are turned on even though not in use, the wasting of
electrical energy will increase.

This problem affects the society and the people living in it. If the problem is
not solved, the outcome will be very bad for a city. A solution for this is
applying the Energy Saving Street Light System, a smart management of
lighting for a smart city.

Hypothesis

Improved street light is related to conserving electrical energy from a city.

Some cities are still using traditional street lighting; consumption of energy
has highly increased even not in use. If a city uses a smart management in
controlling streetlights, there is a high possibility of saving electricity, saving
money and saving the world.

Significance of the Study

The findings of this research will lead to the benefit of the society
considering that streetlights are one of the huge factors for developing a
country. This research is about Energy Saving Street Light System, by the
word itself, its goal is to reduce the excessive usage of electric power. It
allows the streetlights to glow dimly when no activity is detected but brightens
when movement is detected, at the same time; it saves electric energy up to
50% of electricity bill and ensures the safety for drivers, riders and even for
pedestrians.
Scope and Limitations

Even this experiment has limitations on its functionality or performance. IR

Sensor is the major component of Energy Saving Street Light System’s
functionality. IR sensor or Infrared sensor uses an Infrared light emitting diode
(IR LED) and the detector IR photodiode which is sensitive to the IR light
emitted by an IR LED. The photo-diodes resistance and output voltage
change in proportion to the IR light received. This is the underlying working
principle of the IR sensor. But when the infrared waves were absorbed by an
object, especially in white colors, the photodiode won’t receive the IR, the
circuit won’t work. Next is humidity, water vapor can affect its performance.
Lastly, LDR or Light Dependent Resistor is used in this system, if the LDR
detects light, the resistance on the circuit will turn high, if darkness, the
resistance will turn down. But if the LDR receives darkness even in daytime,
the streetlights will work unexpectedly.

Definition of Terms

 IR Sensor- Infrared Sensor. It uses an Infrared light emitting diode (IR

LED).

 LDR - Light Dependent Resistor is a light-controlled variable resistor.

The resistance of a photoresistor decreases with increasing incident
light intensity; in other words, it exhibits photoconductivity.

 Peking- former English name of Beijing.

 Photoresistor- LDR
 Photodiode- a semiconductor diode that, when exposed to light,
generates a potential difference or changes its electrical resistance.