New Lighting System Designed to Keep Students Safer
A security policy is only good if it’s implemented. For example, the elementary school in Uvalde, Texas had a policy of keeping exterior classroom doors locked, but when that protocol was not followed, disaster ensued.
Developed to help school staff more quickly and easily spot potential breaches as well as communicate emergency safety cues, a joint venture between MeshTek, an IoT company that creates smart lighting and other systems, and GreenWatt Development, a company specializing in developing and designing sustainable solutions, was recently unveiled to the Texas Association of School Administrators.
A success on ABC TV’s Shark Tank, with an investment by entrepreneur Mark Cuban, GreenWatt Lighting is a new “kid-centric lighting system” designed to help address the need for school safety and functional lighting. GreenWatt Lighting helps communicate emergency safety protocols to students, teachers, and administrators with instant visual cues and immediate notification alerts. It is reportedly the only safety lighting system that utilizes a reliable Bluetooth mesh network.
“With school safety being a top concern across the country, this innovation could not have come at a better time,” said Mark Cuban. “This adaptable system will transform the classrooms of today and tomorrow with its valuable security features and functional lighting benefits.”
Swapnil Bora, CEO, MeshTek, stated, “[We are] pleased to bring our proprietary Bluetooth mesh network technology together with GreenWatt Development to deliver reliable safety lighting to schools. Our patented technology is the most advanced, long-range, Bluetooth mesh platform in the world, which is critical for school applications, where it can provide 100% coverage campus-wide.”
Kid-Centric™ Lighting offers multiple security solutions, such as the “Secure the Perimeter,” which utilizes energy-efficient, colored LED light bars on the interior and exterior of school doors that display each door’s open or closed status. The entire system is programmed to send push notifications to select administrators to address the issue of propped-open doors.
Besides safety and security, Kid-Centric™ Lighting can also provide an optimum learning environment for students through functional lighting. According to results reported to GreenWatt Lighting by school administrators using the system in the Carroll Independent School District in Texas, “Integrating lights with class bell schedules has proven to significantly reduce tardiness among students, while implementing talk/no talk light bars may assist educators with developing desired behavioral outcomes from students. The controllable lighting feature provides much-needed aid in special education classrooms where visual prompts are essential and light sensitivity issues are prevalent.”
Jeff Ray, President, GreenWatt Lighting, noted, “Educators and administrators need a reliable and affordable system they can trust. The proprietary control application mirrors state emergency protocols, is simple to use, and can integrate easily into existing safety systems or operate as a stand-alone solution to provide the support schools need.”
The first successful installation of Kid-Centric™ Lighting solutions was at the aforementioned Carroll Independent School District in Southlake, Texas. This initial project featured both security and functional lighting applications, and was met with high praise from educators, administrators, and parents.
This video (left) provides details about the school’s results.
Additional GreenWatt Lighting projects are also planned and moving forward in the Northern Texas school districts.
To learn more about the endless capabilities and application uses of this system, visit GreenWatt Lighting.
