High Temperatures Challenge Lamp Pole Screens: Technology Upgrades Drive Smarter Cities

Summer 2025 has brought record-breaking heat across China. Regions including North, East, and South China are enduring extended heat waves with temperatures frequently exceeding 35°C—and in some places like Liaocheng and Heze, soaring beyond 39°C. This intense heat not only impacts people’s daily lives but also severely tests the durability and performance of outdoor electronic equipment.

Lamp Pole Screens Under Heat Stress

Lamp pole screens, essential components of smart city infrastructure, face a significant challenge under extreme heat. Their all-metal exteriors can reach up to 80°C when exposed to direct sunlight—even when powered off. If the LED chip’s junction temperature surpasses 125°C, the packaging material may soften or deform, causing system failure. Higher temperatures also accelerate light decay—brightness drops 5% for every 10°C increase—while driver ICs overheat and power module capacitors rapidly lose capacity.

New Materials for Tougher Conditions

To meet these challenges, manufacturers are upgrading the core materials used in lamp pole screens. High-temperature-resistant components such as military-grade resistors and capacitors can endure up to 110°C. Insulated wires are now designed to withstand over 80°C. In Quzhou’s Shuitingmen Scenic Area, P3 high-density LED modules have been equipped with flame-retardant PC+glass fiber masks and shells, maintaining their structure and performance even under prolonged exposure to heat. This material innovation has extended screen life in harsh environments by more than 30%.

Intelligent Cooling and Power Management

Technology is also helping screens self-regulate. Advanced temperature control systems automatically activate fans once internal temperatures exceed 30°C. Brightness adjusts in real time based on ambient light conditions. In Deyang, smart lamp poles use an IoT platform with dual-mode control—based on both light sensing and time settings. During peak heat, brightness is reduced by 20%, and screens automatically shut down for 15 minutes every two hours to cool. These smart controls have tripled the time between failures.

Smarter Maintenance and Operations

Jiaxing City has launched a summer heat response initiative, increasing on-site inspections for overheating and electrical leakage. More than 90 faults have been addressed within six months. By integrating remote power-off capabilities and real-time monitoring, fault detection now achieves an error margin of less than 1 meter. These operational upgrades not only protect the equipment but also reduce maintenance costs.

Expanding Functions of Smart Lamp Poles

Today’s lamp pole screens are more than just information displays—they are evolving into multifunctional service hubs. In Fuzhou, smart poles along Wanglong Road integrate AI cameras, environmental sensors, and edge computing. When road flooding is detected, the screens instantly display alerts and trigger the drainage system. In Ordos, fog forest dust reduction systems installed on smart poles lower PM2.5 levels by 15% while also providing cooling through high-pressure atomization, contributing to environmental control.

Pushing Standards to Match Climate Realities

The 2025 release of the General Technical Requirements for Outdoor Mini/Micro LED Displays set a new benchmark. It mandates IP65 protection and operational stability in temperatures ranging from -20°C to 60°C. Manufacturers must now submit products to 168-hour high-temperature, high-humidity aging tests to prove their reliability. These standards are accelerating industry-wide improvements in durability and resilience.

Building Smarter, Stronger Cities

The battle lamp pole screens face against rising heat reflects the broader push for climate-adaptive infrastructure. As cities worldwide prepare for increasingly frequent extreme weather events, only smart, resilient technologies will support sustainable urban development. Through innovation in materials, intelligent systems, proactive maintenance, and rigorous standards, lamp pole screens are transforming from vulnerable endpoints to reliable nodes in the smart city network.

Even in the midst of a heat wave, when these screens continue to display clear, stable content, they do more than share information—they symbolize a city’s determination, innovation, and readiness to face the future.