SALC marks a move by pole owners to monetize assets

As always, the Illuminating Engineering Society (IES) Street and Area Lighting Conference (SALC) featured a broad array of presentations focused on improving the nighttime lit environment, leveraging connected and smart lighting technologies, the importance of sensors, and even the impact of LED lighting on crime in cities. But the Sept. 22–25 event that took place in San Diego, CA will also be remembered for a capitalistic undercurrent where municipalities and utilities that own street-light poles have realized that those poles represent valuable assets and provide the potential for new revenue streams — streams that may or may not have anything to do with lighting. And yes, of course the Internet of Things (IoT) was a steady mention, although many presenters are trying to figure out exactly what the IoT is.