If Europe replaced its current streetlight infrastructure with smart lamps, it could save taxpayers up to €2.1 billion per year. At the moment, Europe spends nearly €3 billion on street lighting—a sum that could be translated to other public services like employing tens of thousands of doctors or nurses. By switching out traditional street lamps—75% of which are over 25 years old and require cost-consuming maintenance—cities could save in the long run, both on taxpayer dollars as well as energy, since smart lampposts use 50-70% less energy than traditional street lighting. More than a thousand smart lampposts are currently being tested in six cities across Europe to see if it’s possible to roll out such a project on a larger scale across the continent. Let’s examine one city in particular, Burgas, to see just how much of an impact this tech upgrade could have on citizens. Read more...