Streetlight-based power tap

A method of providing power at a streetlight, the method comprising:

• electromechanically coupling a power tap to a socket located atop a luminaire of the streetlight, the power tap including a housing and a first male connector integrated with a bottom surface of the housing, the first male connector having at least three pins that are insertable into the socket of the luminaire;
• converting, with the power tap, a first alternating current (AC) signal present at the socket to a second AC signal, the second AC signal having a lower average voltage than the first AC signal;
• providing the second AC signal to an output power interface integrated with a sidewall of the housing;
• and
• delivering the second AC signal to a device electrically coupled to the output power interface.

A streetlight-based power system, comprising:

• a plurality of streetlights in a defined geographic area, each of the plurality of streetlights having a respective luminaire, each luminaire having a first female connector integrated atop the luminaire;
• a plurality of smart streetlight controllers, each of the plurality of smart streetlight controllers electrically coupled to a respective one of the plurality of streetlights;
• and
• two or more power taps electromechanically coupled to a corresponding two or more of the plurality of streetlights, wherein each power tap is positioned between the luminaire of the respective streetlight and a smart streetlight controller of the plurality of smart streetlight controllers, each power tap including:
• a housing having a top surface, a bottom surface, and at least one sidewall interconnecting the top surface and the bottom surface;
• a first male connector integrated with the bottom surface of the housing and having at least three pins electromechanically coupled to at least three corresponding receptacles of the first female connector of the luminaire of the respective streetlight;
• a second female connector integrated with the top surface of the housing and having at least three receptacles receiving at least three corresponding pins of a second male connector that is integrated with the smart streetlight controller;
• power conversion circuitry arranged within the housing to receive an input alternating current (AC) signal from the first male connector and to produce at least one output AC signal, the average voltage of the input AC signal being higher than the average voltage of the at least one output AC signal;
• and
• a power output interface electrically coupled to the power conversion circuitry and integrated with the at least one sidewall of the housing, the power output interface exposing the at least one output AC signal for use external to the housing.