A lamppost that improves urban lighting systems, making them efficient and intelligent to facilitate the energy transition towards renewables. That is what, among the many proposals of recent years, Totem Power sets out to do — an innovation that combines a lighting system with solar energy generation, wi-fi functionality, energy storage and electric charging.

The smart lamppost that combines solar energy, wi-fi, batteries and electric charging

The Totem Power, the product of work by the start-up of the same name, cannot really be called a "streetlight" even if, looking at it from the outside, that is still the only way to describe it. In reality it is much more: it is a platform that performs the classic lighting function while also incorporating the collection and storage of energy for charging electric vehicles and carrying out communications functions. A kind of "smart utility" that will help make our cities more intelligent: sustainable mobility services, online systems for enabling citizens to interact with institutions and the services dedicated to them are the first step towards delivering a smarter, more sustainable and efficient smart city project.

Design and technology for the cities of tomorrow

The first Totem model will come to market next summer. The structure will be equipped with a 5-kilowatt solar panel mounted at the top, a 44-kilowatt-hour battery system and a charger for electric vehicles. For connectivity, in addition to the wi-fi system, it will use 4G standards. All of this will be integrated into a completely redesigned lamppost: functional, but also beautiful.

"We believe design can radically change the world. We are working to realise the full potential of the energy transition, providing communities and businesses with infrastructure that is smart, experiential and engaging: something that offers powerful functionality and tells an easy-to-understand story about clean energy and the next generation of critical services. We are building the technology for the cities of tomorrow," said Brian Lakamp, CEO and founder of Totem Power.

Resilience: a technology that responds in emergencies

One of Totem Power's defining characteristics is its resilience, understood as the ability to respond positively to adverse events. Translated into technology, Totem will be capable of continuing to operate even in the event of grid failures, thanks to its distributed energy generation system and storage devices.

Support for electric mobility and smart grids

But the benefits do not end there. In addition to naturally multiplying connectivity possibilities through wi-fi and 4G — increasingly in demand in a constantly connected society — Totem has the advantage of beginning to build a widespread charging network for electric vehicles. This is a crucial step towards giving greater range to drivers who choose to travel cleanly and, in the long term, indispensable for facilitating the green revolution in the transport sector.

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