BUILDING ENERGY EFFICIENCY
CITY: BUENOS AIRES
Smart LED Retrofit Optimizes Resources
24K TONS OF CO2 AVOIDED EACH YEAR ONCE THE PROJECT IS FULLY IMPLEMENTED
THE CHALLENGE Faced with the threat of rising energy prices and a volatile market, Buenos Aires decided to become a leader in energy efficiency by embarking on this four-year street light retrofit pro ject. The most efficient way to reduce energy costs is to reduce electricity usage, and the city is already making headway on that front, as the nitiative saves 44.5 million KWh of electricity annually.
Buenos Aires is retrofitting its street lights with smart LEDs in order to save electricity and better control lighting throughout the city. In 2013, the Argentine capital began a public light retrofit project with the goal of replacing 91,000, or 72%, of conventional street lights with energy-efficient LEDs by the end of 2016. The city is well on its way to achieving its goal, as 60,000 street lights have already been retrofitted. So far, these new lights have avoided 9,866 tons of CO2 emissions and generated 14.77 GWh of energy savings. On top of the street light plan, the city has also replaced all 138,000 traffic lights with high-efficiency LED bulbs, leading to a 90% electricity savings. The LED fixtures generate electricity savings of between 40% and 70% compared to conventional technologies. But the new street lights are not just efficient, they are smart. Buenos Aires’ new street lights include a built-in tele-management system under which every city street light can be controlled remotely from a centralized control panel. This enables the city to turn the lights on incrementally as it gets darker, quickly detect and correct failures, and plan maintenance more efficiently.
CO-BENEFITS
Social The city expects to see a reduction in crime and increase in use of public space in areas with new LED lights.
Aside from consuming 50% less energy than conventional lights, Buenos Aires’ LED street lights also offer a 30% reduction in maintenance costs.
Economic According to estimates, the initiative will reduce electricity consumption by more than 50%, generating savings of more than $7.4 million per year.
Health Traffic accidents are expected to be reduced, as drivers, pedestrians, and cyclists all have better visibility due to new LED street lights.
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