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Chris Byrne & Damon Birchfield Onsite at the Orewa Trial |
There has been much activity in recent times with various New Zealand local councils exploring new road lighting efficiency concepts to identify energy, environmental and financial savings opportunities.
The Electricity Commission “RightLight” Efficient Road Lighting Programme that rolled out last year promoted processes and guidelines to encourage the undertaking of council road lighting technology trials and assessments.
Damon Birchfield, Energy Efficiency and Environment Officer at the (then) Rodney District Council was a participant in the EC training workshops and wished to progress the opportunity within the Rodney District with a well researched and rigorous road lighting efficiency study.
This has resulted in the Auckland Council Road Lighting Technology trial at West Hoe Road, just off State Highway 17 Orewa, north of Auckland. This trial deploys best practice LED road lighting fittings with advanced electronic control and dimming systems.
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Philips SpeedStar Luminaire as Installed in Orewa Trial |
Modus Lighting Ltd was the equipment supplier, IT designer and systems integrator for the project.
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BEFORE - Traditional HPS Lighting at 100% light level |
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AFTER - MODUS LED Lighting at 100% light level |
As well as LED appraisal, a significant part of this trial was to evaluate the practicalities of adaptive lighting for NZ roading conditions, as a means of achieving operational savings. Adaptive lighting is the selective adjustment (up or down) of lighting levels during different stages of the nightly period in accordance with the exact needs of the prevailing traffic and pedestrian activity levels.
The new lighting equipment on trial delivers full light output at high activity periods, is dimmed by 50% at shoulder periods and is dimmed by 75% at low activity periods.
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| AFTER - MODUS LED Lighting dimmed by 50% to 50% light level. |
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| AFTER - MODUS LED Lighting dimmed by 75% to 25% light level |
The trial employs Philips SpeedStar LED light fittings combined with Philips advanced electronic light level dimming and control to adjust the light output to deliver the exact amount of light required for the conditions, minimising waste light and waste energy.
The results of the whole-of-life assessment over a 30 year period are -
a) Energy saving (kWh) vs currently installed orange light (HPS) technology = 54% saving
b) Energy saving (kWh) vs traditional white light (MH) technology = 73% saving
All of the improvements are attainable at a lower whole-of-life financial cost than that of traditional High Pressure Sodium or Metal Halide technologies of an equivalent quality level.
Further details of the trial are available from Modus lighting Ltd General Manager, Chris Byrne at chrisbyrne@moduslighting.co.nz
Modus Lighting is now ready and able to supply NZ councils with energy and money saving technologies that far outperform outdated traditional options.
