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 
