Be the first! Get the latest news and updates
Suggestions

    Dutch island adopts connected street lighting that is friendly to migrating birds

     

    Philips Lighting helps picturesque island of Ameland to save energy, increase public safety and help birdlife through innovative connected LED streetlights

    March 23, 2017

    Eindhoven, the Netherlands – Philips Lighting (Euronext Amsterdam ticker: LIGHT), a global leader in lighting, today announced a connected LED street lighting project with a difference. The lighting company will equip the picturesque island of Ameland, in the Netherlands, with energy efficient LED street lighting and Philips ClearSky, a light spectrum specially designed to be friendly to migrating birds. The new lighting infrastructure represents a major milestone in helping Ameland achieve its ambitious sustainability goals by saving energy and reducing light pollution.

     

    Ameland, one of the Netherlands’ northern most islands, supports the Dark Sky World Heritage Wadden Sea Region UNESCO program1. Its new street lights incorporate Philips ClearSky technology which emits a subtle blue-green light that improves the ability of humans to judge perception at night whilst being friendly to birds and nocturnal animals. 

     

    “Regular white light can disorientate birds and affect their internal compass. Philips ClearSky technology does not interfere with birds’ biological systems and so helps them to arrive safely at their roosts,” explained Maurice Donners, Senior Scientist Lighting Research at Philips Lighting

     

    "By installing connected LED street lighting on Ameland, we are taking the next crucial step in achieving our sustainability goals for 2020. Furthermore, it supports the 'Dark Sky World Heritage Wadden Sea Region' program by helping us to address levels of light pollution and preserve bird wildlife and the environment," says Nico Oud, Alderman of Sustainability of Ameland.

     

    The energy efficient LED street lights that will be installed in the residential areas are wirelessly connected to a Philips CityTouch lighting management system. The system enables individual light points to be monitored and controlled remotely, saving maintenance costs and up to 70% of energy consumption. At the beachfront, the Philips ClearSky lighting incorporates Philips LumiMotion sensors that detect human motion. When no activity is detected, the lighting automatically dims to a level equaling moonlight, protecting darkness and limiting the impact of artificial light for waders, grassland and migratory birds. 

     

    “Together with the municipality, the covenant partners of the Sustainable Ameland Agreement2 and Ameland’s residents, we are helping to create a smart island and preserve a rich cultural and environmental heritage with our connected LED technology,” said Richard Boerop, Account Manager at Philips Lighting. 

    1 The Dark Sky World Heritage Wadden Sea Region program is set up to reduce light pollution on Ameland and protect darkness. For more information please visit: http://www.waddensea-worldheritage.org/DarkSky

    2 Philips Lighting, GasTerra and NAM are covenant partners of the Sustainable Ameland Agreement. By signing this agreement, all parties are committed to working together and experimenting on sustainable energy innovation on the island of Ameland.

    For further information, please contact:

    Philips Lighting

    Anne-Marie Sleurink

    Tel: +31 6 52 59 63 81

    Email: anne-marie.sleurink@signify.com

     

    Municipality of Ameland 

    Jacqueline van Druten-de Wit

    Tell: 06 4553 3921

    Email: communicatie@ameland.nl 

    About Philips Lighting

    Philips Lighting (Euronext Amsterdam ticker: LIGHT), a global leader in lighting products, systems and services, delivers innovations that unlock business value, providing rich user experiences that help improve lives. Serving professional and consumer markets, we lead the industry in leveraging the Internet of Things to transform homes, buildings and urban spaces. With 2016 sales of EUR 7.1 billion, we have approximately 34,000 employees in over 70 countries. News from Philips Lighting is located at http://www.newsroom.lighting.philips.com

    About the Municipality of Ameland

    The Municipality of Ameland wants the people of Ameland to live and work in a safe, healthy and pleasant way on the island, now and in the future. It is a challenge for the Municipality of Ameland to continuously maintain the quality and quantity of the tourism facilities. Between 550,000 - 600,000 guests from home and abroad visit Ameland each year. Municipal dynamics are therefore much larger than its population of just over 3,600 people suggests. The Municipality of Ameland aims to be largely self-sufficient in its use of energy by 2020 and wants to be a leader in the transition sustainable energy. This objective is being realized together with local people and partners.