The streetlighting of Bristol has been upgraded with GE’s CMH StreetWise™ lamps to deliver an energy efficient, white light solution - part of Bristol City Council's aim to reduce its carbon footprint and to promote a safer urban environment.

Request from Bristol

As the only UK city to have been short-listed for the 2014 Green Capital Award, Bristol has a strong environmental ethos and upgrading its streetlights forms part of the city's energy reduction scheme to generate substantial carbon savings. Much closer to daylight, white light also offers further advantages in the fact that pedestrians feel more secure in their environment and car driver reaction time is at least 6 times higher.

GE’s solution

Bristol Council has rolled-out the street lighting upgrade in two phases, the first of which saw the replacement of around 8,000 existing high pressure sodium lamps to GE's CMH StreetWise™ ceramic metal halide lamps over a one year period. Phase 2 of the upgrade began in July 2012 and over the course of the next 12 to 18 months will see the replacement of a further 12000 lamps in Bristol's residential areas. In addition, all the lamps have been replaced in conjunction with dimmable ballasts to allow for greater energy savings and to ensure the council has the flexibility to dim the new lamps (between 7pm and 6am) to an even lower output as and when required.

GE Lighting designed the CMH StreetWise™ ceramic metal halide lamp as an easy-fit replacement for outdated technologies. The lamps are fitted with standard E27/E40 bases and can be dimmed, outperforming most standard HID systems. Plus, with high reliability and sustained lumen output across a longer working life of 24,000 hours, they are supremely cost effective. Furthermore, the lamps support electronic and electromagnetic ballasts and are compatible with the major street light ballasts, retrofitting existing HPS systems. Approved ballasts included Tridonic, Harvard, Zodion and SELC.

Results and benefits

“We are delighted with the street lighting upgrade to GE's CMH StreetWise™ ceramic metal halide lamps. Along with other energy reduction projects financed with interest free loans from Salix & Seels the overall result is astounding and will not only make our streets safer but will enable Bristol to save 4.2M KWH and £500,000 per year on our energy bills as well as a reduction in CO2 emissions,” commented Robbie Park, Principal Lighting Officer for Bristol City Council.

Product used

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