The Canary Island municipality of Artenara, on the island of Gran Canaria, has replaced its 80W mercury vapor lamps with Ignialight 24W LED luminaires. With the change, we have contributed 67% of energy saving in the city besides emitting an efficient and sustainable lighting respectful with the nocturnal wildlife.
The main advantage of LED lamps compared to conventional lamps is that their light can be directed exactly towards the area to be illuminated, preventing light pollution and pedestrian discomfort glare.
In the case of Artenara, a further step has been taken: the installed lamps – Ignialight LED Amber – have an added value: wildlife preservation and environment protection resulting from the non-radiation of the emission peak in the 440Nm range.
In other words, color temperatures in the white light ranges (6500K, 4000K, 3000K) radiate the emission peak around 440Nm, which impacts in terms of light pollution and nocturnal wildlife. “However, in PC Amber LED lighting (~ 1800K) there is no emission peak, achieving a noticeable reduction in the level of pollution and protection of the dark sky,” Ignialight explains.
Therefore this is the type of luminaires installed in the area surrounding the Astronomical Observatory of the Canary Islands, where it is mandatory to use a special lighting system. Santa Pau in La Garrotxa and the city of Banyoles, located near protection areas of natural interest have also incorporated this technology into their lighting.
The technology installed in Artenara
Indeed, artificial lighting in spaces of natural and astronomical interest must meet very strict lighting requirements that until the emergence of PC-Amber LED technology could only be met with sodium vapor lamps.
Its development is the result of the research of Ignialight´s engineering team in collaboration with the main organisms expert in prevention of artificial light impacts on the environment: IAC (Astrophysical Institute of the Canary Islands), UM (University of Murcia), CEI (Spanish Committee on Illumination) and IREC (Institut de Recerca d’Enginyeria de Catalunya).
The main benefits of using this technology to illuminate environments of high natural interest and protection are based on:
– The elimination of the emission spectrum around 440 Nm, the main cause of wildlife affectation.
– A high reproduction index, CRI, around 40, which means a 60% improvement compared to high-pressure sodium vapor lamps that have a value of 25, usually installed in protection zones E1, E2 and of Special astronomical interest.
As explained by Ignialight, nocturnal wildlife is more sensitive to the radiation of the bluish light, while the reddest light is invisible to them and does not disturb their life cycles. “With the PC-amber LED, with an orange hue, they do not feel attracted by the luminaire and do not approach the light emission point, thus preventing the reproductive cycle of these insects be affected,” they explain.
