With the AuLED Street Light, in cooperation with the research institute, HarzOptics, Autev AG plans to bring a cost-effective, energy-saving and environmentally-friendly LED street light to the market this year.

Not only are filament bulbs threatened with extinction in the near future, mercury vapor lights, which currently account for approximately one third of the lights on German streets, will no longer carry the CE symbol from 2015 (expected date). A study on the subject also reveals that German cities and local authorities consume more than 4 billion kilowatts of energy on lighting streets and public areas every year. This produces some 2.5 million tons of CO². So, quite evidently, it makes sense to think about energy-saving alternative lighting systems.

A Germany-wide first pilot project with LED street lights was kicked off in Düsseldorf at the end of 2007. But of course work is also ongoing elsewhere on concepts for energy-saving LED street lights. One example in this respect is the AuLED Street Light developed by Autev AG in the German state of Brandenburg, in cooperation with HarzOptics, a research institute in the state of Saxony-Anhalt. The researchers’ goal is to bring an LED street light to the market with AuLED, which outstrips the current standard street lights in energy efficiency.

They report that, when compared with a good sodium vapor light, the AuLED LED Street Lights consume 42% less energy – before dimming. With dimming more than 57% energy can be saved. With its maximum performance of between 100 and 110 lumen per watt, the AuLED LED Street Light can also compete with a sodium vapor light in absolutely every other respect. And with regard to light intensity, which is between 10 and 20 lux, this light equipped with 72 LEDs is at least as good as any conventional street light. In terms of the color reproduction index, which is used to describe the influence of a light source on an object’s color effect, the AuLED even surpasses a sodium vapor light, which only achieves 30%, while the AuLED’s index is around 75%!

The scientists also plan to meet the highest ecological requirements with their concept. The AuLED will therefore also contribute to a reduction in light smog, which, for example, can result in the extinction of some insect species. The researchers say that a containment of light smog can in particular be achieved by focusing light logically, and neither radiating the lights upwards nor horizontally.

The AuLED’s design and construction ensure that both requirements are met. The LEDs are mounted on three surfaces, of which only the center one is fixed.  The two outside surfaces are moveable. This allows the radiant properties to be set individually for each light. It is also possible to configure the lights, depending on pole height and distance, so that light cones no longer overlap, and so that horizontal and upward light beams can be eliminated. Each of the three surfaces of the AuLED can be deactivated as required, which enables more specific and more energy-efficient lighting. Special optics are also fitted on the LEDs, and these enable an additional focusing of the light. Another building block of the light smog containment strategy is provided by the intelligent dimming of the lights with PowerLineCommunication.

Apropos the AuLED market launch, the production capacities are already up to planned level; TÜV (German certification authority) approval is all that remains to be secured. Production is expected to start at the end of the year.
AuLED
photo: Anette Weingärtner