When it comes to lighting urban spaces, traditional issues such as safety and aesthetics are being sidelined by more pressing economic and ecological concerns, e.g. energy efficiency and sustainability. The Philips CitySpirit lighting family has these issues at its core. With the CitySpirit LED, this lighting family can now welcome a new member that uses a highly innovative solution based on LED technology. It combines environmentally-friendly, long-life technology with contemporary design and uses around 72% less energy than a system with 80 Watt mercury vapour lamps. The white, anti-glare light is very natural and increases the appeal of the urban environment with its excellent colour rendering properties. The new LED light is the perfect replacement for mushroom lighting units.
Philips is opening a new chapter in sustainable urban lighting and white light with the CitySpirit LED. Its "Constant Light Output" (CLO) electronic control, integrated into the light, is unique. It ensures that the light output is maintained at a constant level during the 50,000 hour service life of the lamp and that the light output is always at par with the required level. This has the advantage of eliminating the "overdimensioning" of systems that was once so common in planning, and this in itself reduces energy consumption by up to 15%. The contemporary light design is not just a perfect aesthetic addition to the urban milieu. The warm white (3,000 Kelvin) or neutral white (4,000 Kelvin) light of the LED module also improves night vision, increases safety and contributes to a better general appearance of the town at night. Modern asymmetrical, rotationally symmetric or bidirectional lenses for street or space lighting use energy efficiently by distributing the light precisely.
The maintenance concept is no less impressive than the light itself. The completely modular lighting concept is easy to maintain and makes changing the LED module and the driver at the end of their service life much simpler. The cover and tray can be easily removed in one piece via a bayonet fitting. After undoing the module's screw fastening and removing the electrical quick-connector, the entire unit can simply be replaced by another one. This is a unique feature in LED street lighting and dramatically reduces maintenance costs. In addition to all this, it is also possible to install high performing Cosmopolis or other conventional lighting technology and, according to current plans and performance needs, to upgrade to LED technology. Innovations in LED technology can thus be incorporated into existing lighting systems, bringing them into line with the latest state-of-the-art in a straightforward and uncomplicated manner.
Clean lines – innovative technology
A distinctive feature of the CitySpirit LED product family is its unique shape, characterised by high-quality materials and clean, bold lines. The transparent light housing reveals the optical unit, which is available in several versions. This transparency lends the lights an elegant appearance and pushes the robust, weather-resistant aluminium structure into the background. In addition to its efficient technology, the lighting family also makes a positive contribution to the general appearance of the urban space during the daytime.
CitySpirit lights can be installed in virtually any inner city area thanks to the variety of designs available. A bi-directional indirect reflector ensures homogenous, glare-free light distribution and allows lights to be positioned up to 30 metres apart. The maximum system wattage per light is 30 W. The average wattage based on service life and automatic constant light output regulation is just 25 W. The light is generated by a matrix of 22 high-power light-emitting diodes (LEDs), each one having a meniscus lens to direct the light. The total light output is 1,400 lumens. In addition to the CLO automatic regulation system for constant light output, the dimmable driver can be controlled either by an Intelligent Lighting System or a telemanagement system.
Regardless of the location or height, no light is ever beamed directly upwards, thus reducing light pollution. To ensure that no light inadvertently enters children's rooms or bedrooms from the street, Philips has developed anti-glare screens that can be applied as required after the light has been installed. They reduce the level of stray light falling on the surrounding buildings without adversely affecting the appearance of the light.
No adhesives are used and all plastics are reusable. CitySpirit lights can therefore easily be recycled and conform to all RoHS und WEEE guidelines.
Energy efficiency in street lighting
Given the high cost of energy and the legislative requirements towards greater energy efficiency, it is important to explore all the options that make the use of energy for street lighting more efficient and in the long run cheaper for cities and local authorities. Using the CitySpirit LED, and based on an estimated figure of one million mushroom lights and similar systems, energy savings of around 42 million euros can be achieved each year (based on a 70 Watt saving and 4,000 hours of lighting at 0.15 euros per kilowatt hour).
However, innovative lighting systems do not just make economical and ecological sense. Their better light quality improves visibility, safety and security in public spaces and enhances the appearance of the urban landscape. Despite all this, the rate at which these lights are being adopted into street lighting is currently a mere three percent. This is too low and does not reflect a serious engagement with the issues of cost reduction and active climate protection.
Nonetheless, discussions about an economically and ecologically sustainable lighting environment should not be confined to issues of cost. They should address all areas of life and convince everyone that sustainability is not just another way of saying "going without", but a prerequisite for a future worth living in a pleasant urban environment.
