Municipality of Chalkida:
Chalkida becomes smart!
The need
The benefits from adopting “smart” technologies have been proved in practice after the implementation of “smart” city systems by COSMOTE. These systems come up to make everyday life easier for the residents and facilitate the functioning of the city on crucial issues, thus creating a friendly urban environment.
Chalkida becomes the first municipality in Greece where (Smart Parking) and (Smart Lighting) pilot systems supported from an integrated “smart” city platform have been installed. Furthermore, “smart” applications regarding of the environmental parameters measurement (Air Quality Monitoring) and the (Smart Waste Management) have been already put into operation.
The solutions
The “smart” parking solution includes special sensors and a mobile application developed by OTS, available for Android and iOS, which informs the drivers about available parking spots, how to reach them or guides them to a different parking spot if the initial is occupied.
LED “smart” lighting systems adjust, in real-time, their luminosity according to the season and hour of the day, thus contributing significantly to the reduction of electricity consumption.
Data from these two “smart” solutions is collected, via network infrastructure, in the OTE Group Cloud infrastructure and end up in Cisco’s Smart & Connected Digital Platform. This platform allows the interaction of the “smart” solutions, as well as the integrated presentation of the results and their management from authorized employees of the Municipality.
The “smart” Air Quality Monitoring system uses high-quality sensors in order to detect harmful pollutants and three types of microparticles in the atmosphere. It also measures the temperature, humidity and atmospheric pressure.
The “smart” Waste Management solution provides remote measuring of the occupancy rate of waste containers, while optimizing garbage collection and transport.
The benefits
The Mayor of Chalkida Christos Pagonis stated:
“With the valuable contribution of important companies, Chalkida takes a big step towards becoming a model of “green” & “smart” city for the country. This project proves that new technologies can play an important role in improving the quality of life of its residents as well as in reducing environmental impact and energy demands. We are proud that our city shows the path to the future”.
In practice, “smart” parking significantly contributes to the reduction of the time spent in search of a parking spot, which is estimated to an average of 20 minutes in urban centers, thus also reducing traffic congestion and emission of pollutants. At the same time, it allows the Municipal Authority to effectively manage the parking spots, having a clear view of each vehicle’s parking duration and its compliance with the Highway Code.
The implementation of “smart” lighting is expected to reduce energy consumption at least by 60% whereas via the “smart” air quality monitoring system the Municipal Authority will be in position to better design and implement actions that will reduce atmospheric pollution and improve the quality of life of the residents.
The “smart” waste management solution is expected to lead to significant cost savings due to the optimization of the garbage trucks routes (e.g. cost reduction for fuel, maintenance, staff). Additionally, CO2 emission decrease is ensured and overfilling of waste containers is prevented.