Influence of electrical grid arrangement on public lighting system design for rural areas in Croatian part of Pannonian region

Abstract

Public lighting system represents a major factor for safe transportation in populated areas. With continuing quest for cost reduction in public lighting, many municipalities aim to rebuild their systems usually with newer and more efficient technologies such as LED. Public lighting systems are usually connected to low voltage power grid and grid arrangement dictates possible designs of lighting system. Rural areas of Croatia that belong to Pannonian region mostly consist of villages situated along the road with somewhat similar layout that represents an obstacle for ideal lighting system design. In past decade major rebuilding of low voltage power grid have changed its physical position in space that resulted in different approach in designing public lighting in rural areas. The quest to achieve energy efficient, traffic safe and environmentally acceptable system forces designers to choose diverse ways to tackle the problem. This study compares solutions on finished reconstruction projects in rural areas of Croatia that belong to Pannonian region and draws conclusions on their experience. In the analysis and corresponding simulations, factors such as lighting technology, optics design, pole arrangement, user target group, light pollution etc. are all taken into account with best possible solutions in mind.