"The intention was not only to save energy during the refurbishment, but also to do something additional for the environment"
Münchwilen (AG) is refurbishing its entire street lighting in 2021. The municipality not only opted for efficient LED luminaires with an intelligent control system, but also for the first climate-neutral street luminaires on the market, thus setting new standards in sustainable street lighting.
In conversation with Roland Oeschger
Münchwilen Municipal Council and Project ManagerThe local council not only opted for an innovative and advanced lighting control system, but also for the first climate-neutral luminaire on the market. Why?
We thought about how we could not only save electricity, but also achieve something environmentally. So that everything fits, also the "grey energy" and everything around it must be considered. When we were offered the opportunity with the climate-neutral luminaire, we naturally took it. This rounds off the whole project well and makes it even more meaningful.
What do you want to show as a community with this new eco-friendly lighting?
We try to make sure that everything we do has a holistic benefit. In doing so, we want to take advantage of the options that are available. After all, there are other options, such as the Energy City label. We have decided against this path. Rather, our goal is to use the effort and money for environmentally friendly measures while focusing on consistent cost savings in all considerations.
Was the decision in favor of the climate-neutral model difficult, or were there critical voices along the way regarding the additional costs?
No. The investment is within the approved credit. The additional costs are minimal and amount to CHF 15.70 per Luma gen2 luminaire. An absolutely sensible investment in relation to sustainability and positive impact on the environment.
You replace the entire street lighting in one fell swoop. But you are not only switching from sodium vapor lamps to LED luminaires, you are also using intelligent controls at the same time. How did that come about?
We thought about this project years ago. At the time, we had installed radar sensors on a test track to see how they worked technically and were received by the public. We had very good experiences at that time and therefore decided that we would like to have the lighting controlled. At the same time, it was important for us to leave other options open for the future. That is possible with these controls and the luminaires.
You are focusing on traffic-dependent and time-based controls. Where do you see the greatest potential?
With the controls, we can better respond to special needs and they make our everyday life easier. For example, at events - from Fasnacht to Räbeliechtliumzug - we want to be able to handle it more easily to control the lights. And of course there is great potential to save even more electricity costs and make lighting more environmentally friendly. Current studies show how the animal and insect world is disturbed by too much light. We want to actively do something about this.
In addition to the environment - was disturbance to residents from too much light also an issue?
We noticed that residents were bothered by the fact that it shone directly into their bedrooms. That's when residents also came up with very creative ideas on how to prevent it themselves. We have already counteracted this by dimming the lights down more and the residents were already very pleased with the more pleasant light. We can certainly do much more here with the new lights.
As a municipality, have you decided on other measures to protect the environment?
When renovations are pending, we always make sure that we use environmentally friendly and up-to-date technologies. For example, we are increasingly relying on photovoltaic systems.
