The future of the smart city can be found in the city of Tilburg, the Netherlands. This city now houses two of the most advanced solar-powered streetlights available on the market.

Street lighting will play an important role in the cities of the future. A light post that generates its own energy can serve as a charging station for smartphones, notebooks or electrical vehicles or bikes. "In the future of the smart city, street lights will regulate traffic and measure air quality" says Lennert van den Berg, founder of FlexSol Solutions. The two Soluxio solar street lights in Tilburg could therefore play an important role in the city of Tilburg.

The two Soluxio solar light posts are the first off-grid, autonomous solar light poles in Tilburg. A unique feature of the lighting columns is that they are 10m (33ft) tall and each have over 500Wp of FlexSols cylindrical solar modules installed, giving them plenty of power to light the entire Besterd square with only two masts. Also, the masts have a special wood look coating that makes them blend in the townscape perfectly.

The fact that the poles are fully wireless and not connected to the grid is a big advantage for the municipality of Tilburg. This allows for temporary removal of the poles during the yearly fair that is held at the square, making the public space more flexible and adaptable to the citys needs.

Like all Soluxios, the two solar street lights in Tilburg are connected to the internet wirelessly. Through an online management platform, the software and lighting scheme are updated. The masts indicate when maintenance is due automatically. Other smart city applications such as cameras or air quality sensors can be integrated in the future using the integrated data bus, giving the municipality maximum flexibility. All of this technology is integrated in a slick recycled aluminium pole; a truly sustainable light post that is ready for the future.