Smart Streetlight Node
Every light carries an ESP32 controller with a LoRa radio that checks its lamp, battery and solar panel.
ESP32 + LoRaSmart Streetlights, Explained
Each pole is a connected device. Here's how our ESP32, LoRa and MQTT system keeps every light on and every fault visible.
How it works
From Streetlight to Dashboard
Smart nodes talk to a gateway streetlight over LoRa. The gateway sends everything to our server over MQTT, and you watch it live.
Star Cluster & Gateway
Around 100 lights talk directly to one gateway, which is itself a streetlight. No extra masts needed.
~100 lights / gatewayMQTT to Our Server
The gateway sends data over the internet to the CaneaTech server using MQTT, a lightweight IoT protocol.
Internet uplinkMonitor & Control
Your team and ours see live status, receive alerts and send commands from the dashboard.
Web dashboard
Why this design
Built for African Conditions
We chose a star topology with LoRa and MQTT because it's reliable, energy-efficient and affordable to scale.
Long range, low power
LoRa reaches across a whole cluster while using very little energy, ideal for solar-powered lights.
One connection per cluster
Only the gateway needs internet. About 100 lights share one uplink instead of 100 SIM cards.
Scales cluster by cluster
Add a new street or estate by adding a new cluster. Every cluster appears in the same dashboard.
Lightweight messaging
MQTT is built for IoT devices. It keeps data small and fast, even on modest connections.
The dashboard
Request a Demo
Monitor & Control Every Light
Our backend server collects data from every gateway. Your team sees it live, and so does ours, so maintenance starts before residents notice a problem.
- Live map & remote controlSee every pole on a map. Switch on, off or dim one light, a street or a whole cluster.
- Fault & health alertsGet warned about failing lamps, nodes, batteries and panels before the street goes dark.
- Energy & battery dataTrack battery charge, solar charging and energy use for every pole, with history.
- Schedules & motion dimmingSet lighting schedules and let lights brighten when people or vehicles pass.
100% GhanaianDesigned and assembled in Adenta, Accra
Engineered locally
Our Own Hardware & Software
From the controller in each pole to the dashboard on your screen, the CaneaTech system is developed in Ghana. That means local support, local spare parts and a team that understands local conditions.
- Smart node firmware on ESP32
- LoRa star network with gateway streetlights
- MQTT backend and monitoring dashboard
- Assembly, installation and maintenance teams
Specifications
System at a Glance
| Controller (each light) | ESP32 microcontroller |
|---|---|
| Radio link | LoRa long-range, low-power radio |
| Network design | Star topology: every light links directly to a gateway streetlight |
| Cluster size | About 100 streetlights per gateway |
| Uplink to server | Gateway sends data over the internet using MQTT |
| Monitored per pole | Lamp status, battery level, solar charging, energy use |
| Remote control | On / off, dimming, schedules, motion-based dimming |
| Solar backup | At least 3 nights without sun (standalone solar lights) |
| Works with | New CaneaTech solar lights and existing streetlights (retrofit) |
| CCTV | Pole-mounted and pole-powered; video over a separate 4G or Wi-Fi link |
Lamp wattage, pole height and battery size are matched to each project. Ask us for a site-specific specification.
Let's talk
See the System in Action
Request a proposal and we'll walk you through the dashboard and a design for your site.