21st September 2026 · Blogs
Sean Noone BSc DBA, Director and Founder of Westire, reflects on his extensive career in the lighting industry, the achievements he is most proud of, and Westire’s role in advancing sustainability across the lighting sector.
You developed a silicon ambient light sensor controlled photocell – which is widely applied across streetlighting solutions around the world today. Tell us about how that came to be…
This came to be as a result of working on the use of silicon as means to accurately sense ambient light especially dawn light way back in the late seventies and early eighties. With the help of University College Dublin, this type of silicon sensor was perfected to sense ambient light in the 400NM to 700NM wavelength ambient light energy band. Prior to this work ambient light energy was detected using cadmium sulphide-based (CdS) sensors.
Over years of outdoor exposure, CdS cells suffer from a phenomenon known as “drift” in which continuous ultraviolet (UV) radiation breaks down the semiconductor material. This increases its dark resistance, meaning the sensor requires a much darker environment to trigger the light. Eventually, this causes the streetlight to turn on too early, stay on all day, or burn out permanently. Streetlights face extreme outdoor temperature swings. Because CdS is highly temperature-dependent, seasonal heat fluctuations heavily alter its internal electrical conductivity, leading to inaccurate light-level readings.
Using silicon eliminated all of the CdS problems as it was non-toxic, structurally stable over decades, and reacts precisely to ambient daylight calibration once it was correctly filtered which we did back then. If the use of cadmium sulphide-based (CdS) sensors was to continue on today they would face the ban on the use of hazardous substances.
How has technology, and subsequently Westire, developed since the company’s inception?
The most significant advancements in streetlighting over the last 20 years has been the widespread adoption of LED technology and the introduction of intelligent control systems. Together, these developments have delivered substantial improvements in energy efficiency, operational performance, maintenance management, public safety, and smart city integration, making modern streetlighting networks considerably more effective and sustainable than their predecessors.
Historically, streetlights were controlled using simple photocells or time clocks, operating with little flexibility. Modern systems increasingly utilise intelligent control technologies, including:
- Central Management Systems (CMS)
- Wireless communication networks
- Remote monitoring and fault detection
- Adaptive dimming based on traffic and pedestrian activity
- GPS-synchronised scheduling
- Introduction into streetlighting of Zhaga Book 18 & DALI D4i photocells
Westire has remained in step and contributed to all the above changes. We were one of the world’s first to utilise astronomical algorithms to dim or part-night dim of switch off at midnight streetlights. In addition, Westire was active in streetlight wireless communication due to cooperation with an Italian company and its partners Wi4B. Our Smart City CMS Platform offers dynamic streetlighting for towns and cities, including roads, motorways, pedestrian walkways and cycleways. It is operated remotely through one centralised system, enabling authorities to have full control of the lighting infrastructure, using AI to respond dynamically to changing lighting requirements. The data collated from our platform can help to inform decisions to enhance efficiency, sustainability, and resource allocation.
DALI dimming photocells can deliver reduced power consumption and save energy by adjusting light levels in response to set nighttime dimming times. They can also be programmed for Part-Night and On/Off depending on location or specification requirements, making them highly efficient and flexible for modern outdoor lighting environments.
There is also the development of accurate Automatic Dimming or Midnight Switch-Off control photocells that use GPS/GNSS satellite communications. This enables very accurate part-night operation and dimming control of streetlights – the same time accuracy as experienced when using computer time. This means that the streetlight will switch off at precisely midnight if part-night is set. If it is set to dim, it will dim at the precise set dimming time saving energy and carbon emitted and delivering more sustainable streetlighting.
We introduced Zhaga Book 18 DALI enabled photocells that can be programmed to meet Dawn to Dusk, Part-Night, On/Off and dimming schedules. Meaning that streetlights can be automatically switched On/Off at dusk and dawn or automatically dimmed with custom calculated midnight dimming. This serves to make cost savings through reduced power consumption and comply with the new Zhaga Book 18 consortium streetlight controls.
Westire has millions of lighting controls around the world, to what do you attribute this success?
This is due to innovation in research and development, manufacturing, sales and marketing. Westire has, at its main facility, an advanced research and development laboratory including outdoor long life testing facilities, environmental and burn-in chambers. Also, I have my own home-based advanced research and development laboratory, and this was where the earlier technological breakthroughs were first developed. Close ties with Ireland’s academic and research Institutions is also a major support infrastructure for the company.
The company’s success depends on its ability to develop and deliver differentiated technology solutions, underpinned and protected by intellectual property. This means consistently transforming innovation into commercially valuable solutions that address customer needs and create meaningful value.
Bringing these solutions to market at the right time is equally important. By identifying the optimal point at which an innovation can have the greatest impact, the company can maximise customer value while strengthening its competitive position.
This combination of innovation, intellectual property, customer value and timely market delivery provides the foundation for sustainable competitive advantage, long-term growth and, ultimately, market leadership.
What are you most proud of in Westire’s 40+ years of operation?
One of my proudest achievements was contributing to the development and adoption of technologies that fundamentally changed the direction of the streetlighting market. At a time when climate change policies and carbon reduction targets had not yet become key drivers, our focus was on delivering practical solutions that reduced energy consumption, lowered maintenance costs, and improved operational efficiency for local authorities.
By promoting innovative lighting and control technologies, we helped demonstrate that significant energy and maintenance savings could be achieved without compromising public safety or lighting performance. This challenged traditional approaches and accelerated the market’s transition towards more sustainable solutions.
I am particularly proud that our company was not only at the forefront of creating a more sustainable future but also played an important role in educating and influencing governments and local authorities. Through collaboration, technical expertise, and real-world evidence, we helped decision-makers recognise the environmental and economic benefits of modern streetlighting systems, contributing to their widespread adoption long before sustainability became a primary policy objective.
As a result, the innovations we championed laid the foundations for many of the energy-efficient and smart lighting solutions that are now considered standard practice across the industry.
I can summarise my proudest company achievements as:
- Changed the direction of the streetlighting industry
- Remaining ahead of regulatory and policy drivers
- Laid the foundations for today’s sustainable lighting strategies
- Influenced policy, investment and industry best practice
- Demonstrated the benefits before sustainability became a mainstream agenda
What is the future for Westire?
The future of the company is to continue delivering innovative streetlighting and control technologies that reduce energy consumption, lower carbon emissions, and support the transition to a more sustainable built environment.
As the industry evolves, our focus will continue to be on developing long-life, high-performance lighting solutions that maximise operational efficiency while minimising environmental impact. This includes designing products with longevity, upgradeability, and maintainability at their core, ensuring that assets remain in service for as long as possible.
The company is also well positioned to support emerging product repairability, circular economy, and anti-waste legislation, which is increasingly focused on extending product lifecycles and reducing the disposable culture that has historically existed within many industries. By developing products that can be repaired, upgraded, and maintained rather than replaced, we will help customers meet their sustainability objectives while reducing whole-life costs and resource consumption.
Building on our history of innovation, we will continue to deliver technologies that not only provide significant energy and carbon savings but also contribute to a more resource-efficient and sustainable future for local authorities, governments, and the communities they serve.
In addition to the development and manufacture of innovative, energy-efficient technologies, we are leveraging our extensive industry expertise and broad technical capabilities to provide a range of specialist services to customers and partners. Through our Manufacturers’ Partnership Programme, we work with lighting manufacturers looking to offer market-leading lighting control solutions alongside their own products, providing access to Westire’s proven technology, expertise and support to enhance their product offering and deliver greater value to their customers.
Our capabilities also extend to product manufacturing consultancy. With more than 40 years of experience developing innovative electronic lighting control technologies, Westire has built a strong reputation for engineering excellence, reliability, product innovation and long-term product support. We now offer this expertise to customers seeking a European-based, turnkey partner to develop, manufacture and manage electronic products throughout their lifecycle.