This week’s Smart City roundup looks at expected annual revenues of wireless control systems for smart buildings, another city implementing smart parking technology, and the opening of a solar highway in the Netherlands.

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The promise of wireless smart tech

Navigant Research recently reported that worldwide revenues from wireless control systems used to link various devices in a smart building is expected to grow $97 million annually starting this year, projected to reach $434 million in 2023. This is in large part due to decreasing costs associated with wireless controls.

“Although wireless controls are generally more expensive than their wired counterparts, that price gap is eroding quickly,” said Benjamin Freas, research analyst with Navigant Research. “Wireless controls also provide greater flexibility than wired ones, particularly the ability to install sensors and devices in buildings that cannot easily be torn apart to put in wiring, making wireless systems ideal for retrofit projects in existing buildings.”

Another notable change, the report stated, is that there will be a shift from using only proprietary, vendor-specific wireless communications technology as the demand for interoperability grows.

Barcelona implements smart parking

The Barcelona City council is adamant in reaching its goal of transforming the city into a smart one.  With that goal in mind, it has partnered with Abertis Telecom SA, selecting WorldSensing SL’s smart parking system Fastprk.

The smart parking system will be deployed in the Les Corts District and will deliver features such as parking availability alerts for drivers, loading and unloading areas, taxi availability alerts, and disabled parking bays. All the information will be available to people via a mobile app.

The project will be tested in the next 9 months in an effort to reduce congestion in the area and reduce CO₂ emissions. The project is also expected to go live in time for the Smart City Expo World Congress, taking place in Barcelona on November 18-30, 2014.

SolaRoad for bikers

In the Netherlands, a bike path connecting the suburbs of Krommenie and Wormerveer, which caters to some 2,000 cyclists daily, was given a new purpose when it was fitted with solar panels.

A 70-meter stretch of the bike path was equipped with rows of crystalline silicon solar cells, encased within concrete and covered with a translucent layer of tempered glass. By 2016, the solar path is expected to cover 100-meters and could produce energy that can power three households.

Because the solar cells cannot be adjusted to face the sun, it was designed with a slight tilt and uses a non-adhesive surface that would allow the rain to wash off the dirt to ensure maximum sun exposure. The project cost €3 million (about $3.7 million) which was funded by the local authority.

TNO, the research institute responsible for the SolaRoad, believes that there is a huge potential to expand its idea, ultimately looking to cover at least 20 percent of the Netherlands’ 140,000km of road. Such an initiative could power traffic lights and electric cars. Test have been conducted as to how much load these solar roads can take, and it was able to successfully carry heavy vehicles such as tractors.

photo credit: Valentina_A via photopin cc