In Kerken, the Cleverciti PowerRing, with night-time charging, provides an independent solution that supplies 24/7 power to the most modern smart city sensors from Cleverciti. Thanks to this technology, the smart parking system was implemented in a short amount of time and with minimal infrastructure costs.

The customer

The Nieukerk P+R in Kerken is a typical P+R parking lot that belongs to the Verkehrsverbund Rhein-Ruhr. The community of Kerken is located on the train line from Kleve to the state’s capital, Düsseldorf. Kerken has about 12,000 inhabitants and numerous commuters who use the NordWestBahn to Düsseldorf, Krefeld, and the surrounding towns. As in many other cities, the local lampposts are only supplied with electricity during the night

The case 

The municipality of Kerken wanted to provide commuters and train passengers taking a car to the train station with accurate information about the availability of parking spaces before they arrived. If all parking spaces are taken, commuters can head directly to an alternative P+R parking space, thus avoiding a waste of time, stress, traffic, and unnecessary emissions. 

Decision-makers wanted: 

• Quick installation with minimal cost 

• Supply current lampposts with continual power 

• The following should be avoided: 

  • Construction work

  • Interference with the lighting system

  • Obtaining permits

The Cleverciti solution

Six of the eight lampposts did not have 24/7 electricity, which would normally prevent the installation of IoT sensors. With Cleverciti's battery solution, called the PowerRing, specially designed for nighttime charging and sensor integration, the sensors could run without changing the lamppost power supply.

Read more about the Cleverciti PowerRing here. 

The result

Thanks to this technology, the smart parking system could be implemented in a short amount of time and with minimal infrastructure costs. Without Cleverciti‘s battery-powered solution, the plans for a smart parking service would have come to a standstill in Kerken and would likely still not have been put into action.

“After not having been able to find a short-term solution for the electricity issue at the P+R facility, we were glad that Cleverciti offered a suitable battery-powered solution with night-time charging that allows for a permanent power supply of the sensors. This enabled us to implement the project on short notice and at lower costs compared to alternative solutions. The batteries have been running perfectly since the start.“ - says Detlev Grimm, Project Manager in the Department of Construction/Planning/Technology of Kerken municipality.