Edging closer to Christmas, we begin to fully embrace the holidays, hanging the holly and winding the twinkling lights around the tree. However, whilst our cities and towns line the streets with sparkling displays of Yuletide cheer, this year has seen Christmas lighting take a crucial step into the eco-conscious modern age.
Paris’ most famous avenue, the Champs-Elysees, is this year going green by using only low energy lighting powered entirely by energy generated by the sun. This huge LED lighting project is commendably the first ‘zero consumption’ display in France, with the 31,000 kWh necessary to sustain the illuminations over the holiday period being sourced from 26 solar trackers installed in the Pyrenees-Orientales.
As the 600,000 seasonal visitors promenade down this now twinkling avenue over the busy Christmas period, this transition towards sustainable energy sources and LED lighting has not only reduced costs, but also supports the French national solar energy industry. Switched on by the mayor and French actress Audrey Tautou, this revolution in environmentally friendly lighting solutions was treated to the impressive unveiling it deserved.
The project was chosen from 27 different proposals and was created by a Belgian light design company. Consisting of multiple sets of different sized LED rings surrounding and illuminating the 200 trees that line the avenue – crucially without touching them – this display of LED lighting is impressive to say the least. Costing the city authorities and the Champs-Elysees partnership a total of one million euros to complete, the decision to use LED lighting will undeniably reduce their overall costs due to their vastly lower energy demands.
By switching to LED lighting, the Champs-Elysees organisers have managed to reduce their energy consumption to a fraction of the 480,000 kWh they required in 2006. This is mainly because LED lighting only allows electricity to flow in a single direction, unlike the crosscurrents of traditional incandescent bulbs. With the lights remaining cool whilst lit, they are perfect for utilisation in countless indoor and outdoor lighting solutions.
Paris is not the only city to see the eco-friendly light this Christmas. With five miles of LED lighting illuminating the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree in New York City, the scale of Christmas displays has managed to remain impressive whilst being committed to greener energy and lower power consumption.
The news that Leeds City Council has been looking into turning off its street lights in order to save money is another reminder of just how vitally important energy efficient lighting solutions are for cities and homes to address both our financial and environmental concerns.
LED lighting lasts between 30,000 and 50,000 hours, substantially longer than its traditional counterparts, and the durability and sustainability of LED lighting will provide an undeniably bright return.
There are of course many other ways in which we can all do our bit to reduce our energy consumption this winter. Households and offices especially can benefit from timing systems so lights are off when no-one’s about, or the use of motion sensors to control lights to detect when rooms are empty. With a wide range of LED lighting options and a decade of experience in every aspect of residential and commercial lighting, Asco Lights is ready to provide greener, more cost-effective solutions for your lighting problems this Christmas and into the bright new year.
To discuss your project, to arrange to meet with our lighting designers, or simply to arrange to visit our design studio and showroom, please call us on 0161 207 0212 (Manchester) or 0207 118 0242 (London).
