Philadelphia City Hall, which is a historical building that has architectural significance, recently got a big boost in lighting—marking the beginning of a new era for LED usage within the city. The landmark structure located at the heart of Central Business District now uses cutting edge LED lightening systems such as those found in amusement parks and music amphitheaters. In response to these upgrades, this summer saw more energy-efficient, epic and personalized options in the city’s newest.

A Sustainable and Versatile Solution

For the last twenty-two years, Philadelphia City Hall had been using high intensity discharge lamps, for illumination which are robust but limited in their flexibility. Though effective, the old technology was not programmable nor in any way flexible to produce various effects using light. However, the use of LEDs has not only increased its energy efficiency but has also made it very easy to change colors and create new effects to meet the dynamic lighting demands of the town.

Now that customized LED lights have been installed, city hall can be lit using different colors and patterns, allowing for new ways its architectural beauty can be displayed. In addition to being cost effective, the system requires less maintenance. LEDs last for a minimum of 50,000 hours compared to the alternative lighting options that had a life span of 30,000 hours.

ETC Mosaic Show Controller is the tool that controls this system’s versatility; it coordinates City Hall with 10 additional buildings containing hundreds of LED fixtures. Consequently, the lights placed on city hall are synchronized giving coherent lighting within the center city area of Philadelphia.

Community and Safety Benefits

Beyond aesthetics, the Philadelphia City Hall lighting upgrade represents a step towards enhancing downtown life for both its inhabitants and guests. Paul Levy of Center City District (CCD) noted how lighting uplifts the mood of visitors and employees: “Highlighting our architecture is just part of lifting the spirits of people in the city and enhances the sense of safety.”

Funding and Implementation

The LEDs were a $6.85 million investment brought together from a variety of donors. Pennsylvania’s Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program offered most of it in the form of a grant while the rest came from city funds worth $2.35m and CCD’s contribution totaled $2m. This was made possible through an agreement between these stakeholders allowing for the placement of a total amount on two hundred and twenty-two lights situated around City Hall in combination with close-by structures to improve the area at large.

LEDs for Cities: A Model for Other Communities

Philadelphia’s use of LEDs in City Hall is a trendsetter for many municipalities worldwide seeking to revamp their public spaces with this technology. From an electricity perspective alone LED technology represents a powerful tool for saving energy. With its latest retrofit project, Philadelphia has set better standards on how to light up urban spaces in a sustainable and creative way.

Click here to read the originally article, published on July 16, 2024 by Technical.ly.