Zenzr, a very clever public lighting management system.
By Jop TimmersZenzr is a public lighting platform that manages the intensity of streetlights dynamically, significantly reducing energy consumption, CO2 emissions and light pollution when demand is low.
And it can do a lot more…
Zenzr, smart lighting management system in use. This test started in 2006 and is still functioning perfectly.
In the public area, lighting provides safety and comfort. Public lighting is everywhere and energy consumed by it is the single largest item on the public energy bill for many municipalities. The global costs for lighting exceed $230 billion. And I met someone who has a solution…
About Zenzr
Some time ago I was talking to Willem van der Sluis, owner of Customr, in his design studio. At one point he showed me one of his most clever creations: Zenzr. I instantly fell for the product and now I support Willem and his business partners to refine the functions and to find some launching customers.
Zenzr is an intelligent platform for micro managing public lighting on a macro scale. The platform is a combination of a software-based service and hardware. The hardware (Zenzr module) consists of a lighting management module, some sensors and a communication module. All put together in one product.
The Zenzr module placed in an existing lighting fixture.

Dimmable lighting, sensing light and activity, secure remote management
Public lighting is either on or off. However adverse weather conditions or special events may require a higher level of light increasing the level of security and safety on the street. The lighting management module can fully manage a large variety of light sources. The current model is making a compact fluorescent light source dimmable to light up the area around it in a variable quantity of Lumens at wish. Sensors are connected for real time measuring and processing of the amount of lumens, the temperature of the components and activity in the street allowing the management system to operate based on local, real-time data. The secure communication module enables authorized users to operate any Zenzr module from a (large) distance with the software that is also available as an Iphone app. The Zenzr modules also communicate with each other, connecting relevant data for better decision making of the management system. Any operator can instantly know when a lamp needs to be replaced, even before it actually breaks down.
Fits in existing public lights
I think the absolute ingenuity of the system lies in the fact that the entire module can easily be fit into an existing street light, without changing the lighting fixture and instantly enabling energy metering and remote management. So you can retrofit one street light, the whole street, a block, a highway or an entire city regardless of the brand or platform of the existing light.
A standard street light retrofitted with The Zenzr module and a LED strip.
Benefits for the owner and maintenance
- The lifetime of each light source is extended and monitored. Broken fixtures are reported automatically and breakdowns can be predicted accurately, eliminating the need for regular inspections, which results in significant maintenance cost savings
- A reduction of 40-70% in energy costs can be realised
- Many future appliances can be added, like monitoring air pollution
- Retrofitting existing public lights, low investments
- Authorized personnel can control Zenzr from anywhere with a secure app
Benefits for the environment
- Less energy consumption means less CO2 emissions
- Less light pollution when lights are dimmed
Benefits for citizens and traffic
- Less broken public lights
- More lumen when needed, more safety and security
Launching customers, smart cities
The software is developed, the hardware is engineered and sourced, a first test with 11 public lights is already running successfully since 2006. All we need now is a few pilot orders to be able to start producing and implementing the Zenzr system on a larger scale.
Interested?
Are you interested in being one of the launching customer and putting your city or public area in the spotlights by retrofitting your public lighting with Zenzr modules? Contact me here to make an appointment to discuss the options and time schedule.
A range of retrofitted street lights waiting for action.
Category: sustainable innovation Jop is the founder of Design for Good, experienced product designer, innovation manager, author, sustainability expert, was trained as a C2C design consultant in 2009 and was a part time product design teacher for 9 years. He is passionate about sustainable and social innovation.
Written by Jop Timmers
