LED street lights have many advantages: they have a long service life of around ten years, retain 80% of their light output even after 30,000 hours of operation, and there is no reduction in their light output at low winter temperatures. LED lamps also have good dimming properties and can thus be adjusted to the time of day. Their major advantage, however, is that LED lamps have a lower wattage than conventional globe lamps and can thus save large amounts of energy.

Good for people and animals

LED street lights have already been in use in Vienna since 2010, so there has been ample time to gather empirical evidence on the positive aspects of this kind of lighting. On Vienna’s Danube Island, for example, experts have demonstrated that the LED lamps attract 80% fewer insects than conventional globe lamps, which means that they have far less of an impact on the natural circadian rhythms of nocturnal insects. Light pollution over Vienna has also diminished significantly thanks to the LED lamps, without impairing the uniform illumination of roads and footpaths which allows road users and pedestrians to see obstacles clearly.

LED street lighting also has a positive effect in that the light it radiates has no influence on the body’s production of the sleep hormone melatonin – in contrast to intensive television viewing, mobile phone or tablet use just before bedtime – so this type of lighting is not hazardous to human health, either.

Refitting continues

By the end of 2020, 50,000 catenary luminaires across the city will have been converted to LED. The Municipal Department for Public Lighting (MA 33) will subsequently commence the LED refitting of Vienna’s 80,000 or so pole-mounted street lights to bring them up to modern standards. This is a further important step to conserve resources in line with the Smart City Framework Strategy, which sets Vienna the target of reducing its local per capita final energy consumption by 30% by 2030, and by 50% by 2050 (compared to the baseline year of 2005).

Contact

Ing. MMag. Gerald Wötzl, Bakk.

MA 33 – Public Lighting

E-Mail: gerald.woetzl@wien.gv.at

Website: www.led-it-schein.wien