Buenos Aires switches to LED lighting

Philips was selected by the government of the city of Buenos Aires to renew its street lighting system with LED technology. The company will replace the majority of the 125,000 existing street lights with new LED luminaires within a three-year term. Philips was awarded the contract as a result of a public bidding process. 

Philips’ LED-based lighting is said to enable energy savings of over 50% for the city, a significant reduction in CO₂ emissions every year, and offer a lifetime that is five times longer than conventional lighting. This is expected to significantly reduce the environmental impact of the lighting system and reduce maintenance costs for the city of Buenos Aires.

“With the rapid growth in population and the expansion of urban areas, the world needs better and more efficient light. The arrival of innovative LED lighting has brought about a radical change in the industry. In addition to enabling energy savings, it provides our customers with unique, flexible, sustainable and integrated lighting solutions which were not even envisioned only a few years ago,” stated Gustavo Verna, CEO of Philips Argentina.

The white light of LED lighting enables better facial recognition and adequate colour perception, not only by the human eye, but also by security cameras, strengthening crime prevention, according to Philips. The improved visibility and security through Philips’ LED lighting will enable people to enjoy public spaces in Buenos Aires.

Another important benefit of LED lighting is the ability to be remotely controlled. In addition to the replacement of street luminaires, Philips has developed a tailor-made solution for the City of Buenos Aires based on its CityTouch Tele-management platform. The system enables monitoring of each light point in the network on an individual basis, allowing the optimal operation of each luminaire and programming of potential replacements or future maintenance tasks. The system also provides the possibility to switch off or dim lighting levels, depending on specific requirements, thus dramatically reducing energy consumption.

The renewal process in figures: 91,000 street lights will be replaced with LED technology (including luminaires on avenues, streets, and parks); the city will save over 50% of its energy consumption after implementing this technology; the new luminaires are said to last up to five times longer than conventional lighting; the luminaire replacement process will take three years; approximately 10,000 luminaires have already been installed to date.