ILLUMINATE studies “smart” lighting in high quality urban areas, both in terms of energy efficiency and quality of light. Seven pilot projects in city centers, museums and acquariums tested the proposed LED lighting solutions.
Illustration : Brian Thompson / Press Eye.
The ILLUMINATE project aimed at assessing Solid State Lighting applicability and benefit in high-quality urban areas and in buildings hosting expositions and museums when light quality is an uncompromising requirement and LED use is still problematic.
Pilot projects have been implemented in:
Belfast City Council, (U.K.): within the current refurbishment and valorisation of the historical building, where people meet, work, enjoy but also symbol of the peace progress
Lietuvos Juru Muziejus Klaipeda Sea Museum (Lithuania), trying to improve previous experiments;
Diergaarde Blijdorp Rotterdam, Rotterdam Zoo (Netherlands): impact of SSL on areas where visitors and animals are present.
Costa Edutainment, Acquario di Genova (Italy): lighting in the seals’ pool and in other parts of the Aquarium, trying to reach a good quality lighting also in water enabling visitors to see animal while also repecting the latter, as well as lowering energy consumption;
Porto Antico di Genova (Italy), part of Genoa’s Waterfront Area;
Experimentarium Copenhagen (Denmark), educational and scientific promotion centre, will include the pilot project within the frame of its refurbishment;
Hellenic Center for Marine Research, Crete (Greece): the pilot project will study the impact of SSL on animals and its use in the pools;
The total number of annual visitors is around eight million people. This will consent to a vast assessment of end users’ perception of proposed lighting through ex-ante and ex-post measurements, polls, evaluations.
All pilot projects foresee further extension.
The City of Genoa, lead partner of the project, coordinates partners from six different countries and the pilots are helped by:
Softeco Sismat SRL (Italy), technological coordinator, member of the Genova Smart City Association will provide ICT solutions for integrated smart control lighting systems, building management, communication as well as measurement and assessment of energy efficiency.
ENEL Sole (Italy), member of the Genova Smart City Association and Philips (Italy), lighting technologies provider defines SSL technical standards for assessment of pilot projects. They will define needs and identify possible solutions, as well as integration with measuring and control smart systems;
OVE ARUP & Partners (U.K.), provide optimal illumination solutions in varied scenarios, considering design, impact on people and animals, colour, temperature, shape;
Cenergia Energy Consultants APS (Denmark), measures energy efficiency and savings;
FEDARENE (Belgium), Federation of Regional Energy Agencies, in cooperation with ARE, Ligurian Regional Agency for Energy, will help in disseminating the project to other cities, visitors, citizens.
Total European funding is almost two million euros.
ILLUMINATE is part of the Seven Framework Programme “Information Communication Technologies (ICT) – Policy Support Programme (PSP)”, aimed at supporting competition and innovation, promoting advanced lighting technology with low environmental impact. The other approved project concerns the new illumination project of the Sistine Chapel and the two projects will cooperate in communication, dissemination and technical confrontation.