The intelligent lighting columns from Alfred Priess A/S get even smarter

Company

Alfred Priess A/S, a Danish company known for its solar-powered street lighting columns, has worked closely with EKTOS A/S since 2015 to develop smart control systems for its product range. This partnership has led to innovative solutions that make remote management easier and boost the reliability of Priess’s solar lighting installations.

Challenge

One of the key intelligent features of Priess’s solar cell street lighting columns is the ability to manage them remotely via WiFi, significantly reducing the need for time-consuming physical inspections and on-site support.

However, this capability faces several challenges. Network security constraints—primarily firewall protections in traditional WiFi-based systems—often require IT administrator permissions, delaying system setup.Additionally, many rural or highway locations lack reliable WiFi access altogether.  

As a result, direct connection to a lighting column from a desktop is not feasible without involving local IT resources. What should be a seamless remote management experience has instead become a recurring obstacle for Priess and its clients.

To overcome this, Priess needed a solution that would enable reliable monitoring and management of installations in remote or Wi-Fi-restricted environments, without costly site visits or complex network configurations. 

Secondly, a SIM card could be added to each controller. However, this required a separate subscription for every lighting column. For large installations with hundreds of units, this approach became costly and complex. A more cost-effective alternative was needed. 

Solution

EKTOS and Priess collaborated to tackle these challenges by adding two key features to the latest controller version.  

First, they integrated a GSM module to expand connectivity options beyond WiFi, allowing remote management of street lighting columns in areas without reliable WiFi. They also created a local mesh network among lighting columns, which only requires one SIM card for an entire network, saving both time and operational costs. 

Additionally, EKTOS implemented a solution by Nabto that bypasses firewall barriers, allowing Priess and their clients to connect to the lighting columns directly from mobile devices or desktops. Nabto’s system enables a secure, VPN-like connection without needing network administrator permissions, streamlining remote access. 

As Nabto’s Sales Director, Karsten Viuf, explains, “Our solution sends a message to a local server on the Internet every 15 seconds, with details on the device’s IP address and socket number. When I want to connect, my phone or computer pairs with the device, similar to how a VPN functions.” 

To ensure reliability, EKTOS integrated an alert function that notifies Priess and clients of potential issues, such as low battery levels, before they impact functionality. The alert could, for example, go off before the battery in a lighting column runs out of power if the weather has been cloudy for a longer period. This preemptive system keeps installations running smoothly, even in remote and challenging environments. 

EKTOS and Priess collaborated to address these challenges by introducing two key features in the latest controller version. 

First, they integrated a GSM module to extend connectivity beyond WiFi, enabling remote management of street lighting columns in areas with limited or no WiFi coverage. They also established a local mesh network among the lighting columns. This architecture requires only a single SIM card for the entire network, significantly reducing both operational costs and setup time. 

In addition, EKTOS implemented a solution developed by Nabto to bypass firewall barriers. This allows Priess and their clients to connect directly to the lighting columns via mobile devices or desktop computers. Nabto’s system provides a secure, VPN-like connection without requiring network administrator permissions, thereby simplifying remote access. 

As Karsten Viuf, Sales Director at Nabto, explains:

“Our solution sends a message to a local server on the Internet every 15 seconds, with details on the device’s IP address and socket number. When I want to connect, my phone or computer pairs with the device, similar to how a VPN functions.” 

To enhance reliability, EKTOS also integrated an alert function that notifies Priess and its clients of potential issues—such as low battery levels—before they impact performance. The alert could, for example, go off before the battery in a lighting column runs out of power if the weather has been cloudy for a longer period. This preemptive system keeps installations running smoothly, even in remote and challenging environments. 

Results

Through their collaboration with EKTOS to address the challenges, Priess has transformed how clients can interact with their lighting installations. They have succeeded in making remote access to each lighting column more seamless, even in difficult-to-reach locations. 

They have been able to provide reliable controllers, where power conversion, as well as advanced control and communication, work well across thousands of units they have sold. Their updated control system allows Priess to confidently deploy remotely managed, high-performing lighting installations across varied locations and environments. 

Looking forward, Priess and EKTOS are exploring further upgrades to the control systems, with an eye toward ongoing innovations in IoT technology.

Both companies remain dedicated to enhancing the autonomy, responsiveness, and intelligence of Priess’s solar lighting solutions, with EKTOS positioned as a key partner in driving these innovations forward. 

Testimonial

“EKTOS has some super-skilled people in Ukraine who understand every little detail of our product, which means that they can evaluate what is possible to do.” 

Ole Søndergård, product manager at Alfred Priess A/S