It’s reported that Future Lighting Solutions has provided key technical design assistance for new energy-saving LED light fixtures unveiled last month on the Hong Kong MTR (Mass Transit Railway). The new fixtures, each comprised of 32 high-powered LEDs, are designed to reduce energy consumption on the city’s trains, extend bulb life to lower replacement costs, and provide more natural lighting than conventional fluorescent tubing for commuter comfort.

Future Lighting Solutions has been involved in the project since early 2007 as a strategic partner working with the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology and industrial lighting specialist JM Technologies Limited, as well as supplying the LEDs. Future Lighting Solutions provided technical training to the MTR engineering team on the power, thermal and optical aspects of using high-power LEDs. The LED solutions provider also supplied technical design support, including full access to its engineers and suite of proprietary LED application development tools, to ensure optimum fixture reliability and performance.

The finished fixtures will consume an estimated 30% less electricity than fluorescent lights and have a 50,000-hour useful life, triple that of their fluorescent counterparts. The savings in energy and replacement bulbs are expected to make up for the higher costs of solid-state lighting within two years and lower overall maintenance costs in the long run.

The new fixtures are being installed on three MTR trains as part of a project intended to pave the way for broader adoption of solid-state train lighting by MTR Corporation Limited, the publicly traded company that owns and runs the MTR metro system. MTR Corporation also is planning the use of solid-state lighting in train stations and plans to complete the first installation at the Choi Hung station by August 2009.