Lighting towers · solar · hybrid · diesel
Remote monitoring and control for lighting towers
A lighting tower that fails overnight leaves a compound, roadworks or event in the dark — and the first the hire desk hears about it is an angry phone call. TrackSyte® monitors battery, fuel, running hours, alarms and location on diesel, hybrid and solar lighting towers — and lets you switch the lamps on or off from the portal — so problems are spotted and refuelling is planned before the lights go out.
Neo 2 runs from the tower's 12V or 24V supply (9–30 V DC), reads Victron and smart lithium battery systems, engine data over CAN bus (J1939) or controllers over Modbus where available, and has GNSS fitted as standard.
Why lighting towers need remote monitoring
Lighting towers do their work at night, when nobody from the hire company is around to notice a problem. Diesel towers run out of fuel; solar and hybrid towers run their batteries down in winter when there is not enough daylight to recharge them; and any tower can be knocked over, moved or tampered with.
Solar and hybrid towers cut fuel and emissions, but they make the question "will it last the night?" harder to answer by looking. Remote monitoring answers it for every tower at once.
What you can see for each lighting tower
Depending on the tower type and what its systems publish:
| Reading | Diesel | Hybrid | Solar | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Battery state of charge and voltage | Start battery | Yes | Yes | Will the tower last the night? |
| Solar charging | — | Yes | Yes | Is the panel keeping up in winter? |
| Fuel level | Where published | Where published | — | Plan refuelling rounds |
| Running hours | Yes | Yes | — | Service on real hours, bill hire accurately |
| Engine alarms | Yes | Yes | — | Know whether a fault needs a visit |
| Location, tilt and movement | Yes | Yes | Yes | Find towers; know if one is knocked over or moved |
Connecting diesel, hybrid and solar towers
Diesel and hybrid towers usually have an engine that reports over CAN bus — often using the J1939 standard — or a generator controller that publishes data over Modbus. Solar and hybrid towers have a battery system, often Victron equipment or smart lithium batteries with a BMS. Neo 2 has CAN bus, RS485 / Modbus, digital inputs and Bluetooth on one device, so the same gateway fits every type of tower in the fleet.
Switch lamps on or off remotely
Neo 2 can control the tower as well as monitor it. Its outputs are wired to the tower's lamp circuit or controller, so the hire desk can switch lamps on or off from the TrackSyte Portal without sending anyone to site.
Turn off a tower left burning in daylight to save fuel or battery, switch lights on for a late finish, or turn a tower off when a site closes early.
Alerts before the lights go out
Set alert rules for low battery, low fuel, engine alarms, loss of connection or a tower that has tilted or moved, with critical, warning and information levels sent by email, webhook or Slack. A tower heading for a flat battery at 4pm becomes a planned swap or top-up, not a 2am call-out.
Part of one hire fleet view
Lighting towers rarely go out alone. They sit on the same sites as CCTV towers, welfare units, generators and pumps, and TrackSyte shows all of them in one portal with one set of alert rules.
Related capabilities and hardware
FAQs
Can you monitor solar lighting towers remotely?
Yes. Neo 2 reads the battery system on solar and hybrid towers, including Victron equipment and smart lithium batteries, so you see state of charge and solar charging for every tower.
What about diesel lighting towers?
Diesel towers usually report engine hours, alarms and sometimes fuel level over CAN bus (J1939) or a Modbus controller. Neo 2 reads those where the tower exposes them, plus GNSS location.
Will I know if a lighting tower is knocked over or moved?
Yes. Neo 2 detects tilt, shock and movement, and its GNSS receiver records location, so you can be alerted when a tower is struck, tilted or moved.
Can I switch lighting towers on or off remotely?
Yes. Neo 2's outputs are wired to the tower's lamp circuit or controller, so you can switch the lamps on or off from the TrackSyte Portal.
Can tower manufacturers fit Neo 2 at the factory?
Yes. Neo 2 can be fitted during manufacture so every tower leaves the factory connected. See our page for manufacturers.
See lighting tower monitoring in a demo
Tell us which towers you run — diesel, hybrid or solar — and we will show you what Neo 2 can read and how your fleet would look in the TrackSyte Portal.