Streetlights have long been a familiar part of the nighttime landscape, illuminating roads, sidewalks, and public spaces to improve safety and visibility. Today, however, many of these fixtures are evolving into smart street lighting systems, capable of communicating and responding to real-time conditions. Through wireless networked lighting controllers (NLCs), cities and utilities can remotely monitor performance, adjust brightness levels, and detect outages without sending crews into the field. One important standard supporting this technology is ANSI C136.48-2023: Roadway and Area Lighting Equipment – Wireless Networked Lighting Controllers, which establishes requirements for NLCs used in roadway and area lighting systems.
What Is ANSI C136.48-2023?
ANSI C136.48-2023 defines the minimum requirements for a wireless backhaul connection of a networked lighting controller (NLC) intended for use with roadway and area lighting systems. It assures interoperability, safety, and performance for devices used in outdoor lighting systems.
What Are Wireless Networked Lighting Controllers?
Wireless Networked Lighting Controllers (NLCs) are intelligent, IP-based lighting systems that use wireless communication (such as Bluetooth Mesh, Zigbee, LoRaWAN, or Wi-Fi) to connect luminaires, sensors, and switches. By connecting lighting fixtures to centralized management platforms through wireless communication, NLCs not only deliver 25–50%+ energy savings, but they also enable operators to monitor performance, control lighting levels, and collect valuable operational data. As such, wireless networked lighting controllers are a key component of smart city infrastructure—enabling remote monitoring, automated operation, and energy-efficient management of street lighting networks without requiring physical network connections.
Key Functions of Wireless Networked Lighting Controllers
Typical functions of wireless network lighting controllers (NLCs) include:
- Turning lights on or off automatically
- Dimming lights to reduce energy consumption
- Monitoring energy usage and system performance
- Reporting failures or maintenance needs
- Collecting data for smart city analytics
Essentially, NLCs allow utilities and municipalities to manage thousands of lights across large geographic areas from a single platform while improving energy efficiency, reducing maintenance costs, and enabling real-time monitoring.
Applications of Wireless Networked Lighting Controllers in Modern Infrastructure
Wireless networked lighting controllers (NLCs) are increasingly used across a wide range of outdoor and public lighting environments, including:
Street and Roadway Lighting
One of the most common applications of NLCs is in street and roadway lighting. Cities can remotely control when lights turn on or off, adjust brightness based on traffic patterns, and quickly detect outages or malfunctioning fixtures. This level of control helps reduce energy consumption while assuring that roads remain well-lit for drivers, cyclists, and pedestrians.
Highway and Tunnel Illumination
Highways and tunnels require reliable and consistent lighting for visibility and safety. Wireless networked lighting controllers allow transportation authorities to adjust lighting levels depending on time of day, weather conditions, or traffic flow. In tunnels, adaptive lighting can improve visibility when vehicles enter or exit, helping drivers transition safely between different light levels.
Parking Lot Lighting
Large parking areas at shopping centers, airports, and office complexes benefit significantly from networked lighting controls. NLCs allow facility managers to dim lights during low-traffic hours, brighten specific areas when motion is detected, and monitor lighting performance remotely. This improves security while lowering energy and maintenance costs.
Where to Find ANSI C136.48-2023
As urban infrastructure becomes more connected, networked lighting systems will continue to play a critical role in energy management and public safety. Standards such as ANSI C136.48-2023 help assure that these systems remain reliable, secure, and interoperable across manufacturers and installations.
ANSI C136.48-2023 was developed by the National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA).
ANSI C136.48-2023: Roadway and Area Lighting Equipment – Wireless Networked Lighting Controllers is available on the ANSI Webstore.