Page 19 - Respond 2018 Magazine

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Street lighting, LA

However, in all these cases what can hold the development Better lighting can also have a significant impact in schools.
back is the initial up front cost. The cheapest individual In a year-long trial in a French primary school, a new
lightbulb to buy remains the incandescent bulb – yet viewed system that allows the teacher to optimise the classroom
over any length of time, it becomes the most expensive. ambience found that reading speed increased by 35%,
while frequency of errors dropped by nearly 45% and
It is also extremely limited technology. In contrast, LEDs can hyperactive behaviour by 76%. All of these factors can
now be embedded with sensors and intelligence so they provide a major boost to children’s enjoyment of their
can be connected wirelessly and managed remotely via the school day and their ability to learn.
internet. This connected lighting for smart buildings and
smart cities can further boost the initial energy savings by up The key in encouraging the adoption of this type of
to 80%. technology is delivering the message that it does not
require a sacrifice, or that we are looking at experimental
The benefits of this connected technology can be measured in concepts, but that the technology is already available and
much greater terms than simple energy savings. Businesses simply needs accelerating. This must take place through
can enable employees to personalize their lighting and replicating best practice, putting the right policies in place,
temperature at their workspaces via a smartphone app, with and communicating effectively.
associated improvements in both productivity and employee
well-being. In addition, building managers can receive real- We need to convince society’s ‘eco-majority’ – those who
time data on how the office is being used, how much space are aware of the need to act, are willing to do so, but are
is required, and how to optimize the space they have. uncertain about the steps to take. Creating momentum
with this group will help embed Sustainalism as the new
The benefits of connected lighting can be seen on a mainstream economic model.
city-wide scale. For instance, the City of Los Angeles has
converted 140,000 street lights to LED and has 110,000 We need a paradigm shift – slightly revised capitalism or
nodes connected and managed through a Philips Lighting moderated socialism are not going to suffice. We need
CityTouch connected street lighting management system. Sustainalism, a new, inclusive and more equitable socio-
Not only does this allow the city to remotely manage and economic model of a 21st century to meet the needs of the
monitor the lighting, acoustic sensors can be used to detect 10 billion people who in just a few decades from now will
vehicle collisions and thus reduce the emergency response share the single planet that we call home.
time. Other benefits include a 21% reduction crime in areas
where the improved lighting was introduced and a 30% http://lighting.philips.com
reduction in night-time traffic accidents.

Buenos Aires is another city that has retrofitted its street
lighting system with connected LED lighting, creating a safer,
more welcoming environment to improve the quality of life
of its residents, while also saving 50% in operating costs.

www.rtcc.org