The Japanese company is also working on a smart city initiative in Denver
Panasonic Corporation of North America is currently collaborating with the City of Colorado Springs, Colorado, and Colorado Springs Utilities for the deployment of smart city solutions.
Panasonic, together with Colorado Springs and Colorado Springs Utilities, is working to deploy new technologies that will improve service delivery to the community and drive economic development. The partners said they are focusing specifically on projects in energy, mobility, city services and smart buildings.
“We look forward to working with Panasonic in a collaborative process that leads to ways to make Colorado Springs more appealing for residents and tourists alike. The technological solutions include items such as LED streetlights that can detect snow levels, building efficiency technologies, and advanced security technologies to improve public safety,” said Colorado Springs Mayor John Suthers.
Panasonic is also working in another smart city initiative near Denver, Colorado, with the goal of turning the area into a “smart city” by 2026. This project is part of a larger Panasonic initiative called CityNow.
On a 400-acre property near the Denver International Airport, Panasonic has installed free WiFi, LED street lights, pollution sensors, a solar-powered microgrid, interactive kiosks and security cameras.
Panasonic is also paving the way for an autonomous vehicles project in the area as part of the smart city initiative. According to the company, a self-driving shuttle will connect a light rail station to bus routes throughout the Denver area during this year.
Panasonic and the City of Denver had partnered with the Colorado Department of Transportation last year to develop a $72 million system called Road X. The program aims to reduce vehicle accidents by facilitating communications between vehicles and the city’s infrastructure. Panasonic highlighted that this smart system could suggest optimal navigation routes based on real-time traffic patterns or implement “virtual guardrails” to notify drivers when they drift out of lanes.
The company said that its CityNOW initiative brings Panasonic’s worldwide smart city expertise to North America. The program is inspired from the Fujisawa sustainable smart town, a Panasonic-led smart and sustainable development in Fujisawa, Japan.
Fujisawa sustainable smart town provides five key services including energy, security, mobility, healthcare, and community.
Energy services include Panasonic’s LED lighting, solar panels, storage batteries, and household fuel cell cogeneration systems or heat pump water heater equipped in each home. With these solutions, the town is aiming to reduce CO2 emissions by 70%. Moreover, these systems store backup energy reserves to last 3 days in case of emergencies.
In the mobility space, the town offers car and bicycle sharing services that feature EVs and electric power assisted bicycles. Panasonic and Fujisawa have also deployed a number of security solutions across the city.
The Japanese also offer comprehensive healthcare by connecting various facilities
Panasonic said it has already deployed smart city initiatives in several countries including the U.S, Canada, Japan, China, France and Germany.
