Somosaguas (Madrid), Spain
Simply by replacing existing SON lanterns with CosmoPolis, the Pozuelo de Alarcón town hall in Madrid has transformed the appearance of the residential suburb of Somosaguas with adequate levels of white light – and at the same time cut the energy bill as well as CO2 emissions by no less than 47%.
The previous 250W SON installation was fifteen years old and therefore due for replacement in the near future. Also, foliage of trees in the area had grown under the lanterns, obscuring the light and making Somosaguas a rather gloomy place at night. A suggestion to replace the existing lamps and gear with more powerful 400W ratings was abandoned because it was not energy-effective.
Leopoldo Gómez, lighting engineer, said: ‘My colleague Fidel Holguín and I found an energy-saving solution that looks good by day, and provides ample white light at night. We installed 150 new Modena luminaires equipped with 140W CosmoWhite lamps and electronic gear, but mounted below the branches of the trees. We used the existing posts to minimise the investment costs.’
The improvement in visual amenity is spectacular. The town hall’s reaction was very positive: ‘We are very satisfied indeed. The lighting complies with our strict aesthetic requirements. The white light is closer to natural vision, which increases the feeling of safety and the quality of life for local inhabitants as well as increasing property values in the area.’
Somasaguas is safer as well as brighter. A police spokesman said: ‘We can see better for driving and identifying vehicles and passers-by. The CCTV surveillance system works better as well. There are no dark areas anymore to create a sense of insecurity. If only all street lighting was with white light.’
Energy savings will ultimately repay the capital cost of the new lighting, so that the residents of Somosaguas will then enjoy the best of both worlds – superb lighting at lower cost.
With regard to the technical aspects, the photometric measurements confirm these opinions:
| NEW: CosmoWhite 140W |
Old: 250W high pressure sodium |
Units | ||
| Average Luminance | Lmed | 4.1 | 4.6 | Cd/ m2 |
| Longitudinal Uniformity | Ul | 0.82 | 0.68 | % |
| Overall Uniformity |
Uo | 0.041 | 0.043 | % |
The “multiplier” effect of the white light means that with the same light intensities, a greater level of perception is achieved.