Boston properties, including the Hyatt Regency Cambridge, are benefiting from the use of light-emitting diode (LED) technology.
Let there be light.
Those words may have been first spoken by the Almighty, but today a new kind of light is illuminating buildings, showcasing the work of architects and designers – light-emitting diodes, or LEDs.
In order to distinguish their properties from other buildings, create a landmark and lower their costs, an increased number of property owners are using LED illumination sources to light one-of-a-kind structures, facades and interiors while using less energy.
A handful of companies, some based in Boston, are using the technology as a way to generate color and dynamic lighting effects for new construction and well as revitalizing older buildings.
“Whether in retail shops, theaters, restaurants, hotels or entertainment venues, Boston residents and visitors are experiencing the impact of our LED lighting technology on a regular basis,” said William Sims, president and chief executive officer of Color Kinetics Inc., a Boston-based firm that has designed lighting systems for the Hyatt Regency Cambridge, the Bank of America Pavilion and the InterContinental Boston in the city’s Seaport District.
Large private buildings are not the only facilities that are adopting LED technology. Earlier this year, the Senate Environment & Public Works Committee on Capital Hill urged passage of legislation that would fund energy-efficiency improvements to federal buildings managed by the General Services Administration, the federal agency in charge of leasing space for government offices.
The GSA owns or leases more than 340 million square feet of office space in more than 8,500 buildings, according to a report in Environment & Energy Daily. The Energy Department estimates that all public and private buildings consume about three-quarters of the nation’s electricity and emit about half of its greenhouse gases, the report said.
But the federal government ranks as the largest energy consumer and waster in the world, according to the Alliance to Save Energy, an energy-efficiency advocacy group. Federal buildings consumed as much as 1.6 trillion British thermal units (BTUs) of primary energy in 2005, costing taxpayers about $14.5 billion, according to the group.
The legislation introduced by Senator Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., would accelerate the installation of energy-efficient lighting technologies in buildings under GSA management. Under the proposed statute, GSA would be responsible for designating a person within each building to spearhead the retrofits and ensure that the more efficient technologies – such as compact fluorescent lamps, halogen lamps and light-emitting diodes – pay back their capital costs through energy savings within five years.
‘Win-Win Situation’
Local governments also are racing to save energy. At the request of Mayor Thomas M. Menino earlier this year, the Green Building zoning provision, Article 37 in Boston’s zoning code, was enacted. It requires that projects more than 50,000 square feet meet a basic level of certification based on the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) rating system.
In March, Cambridge launched a $70 million energy-efficiency program with an initial goal of reducing half of the city’s 23,000 buildings’ electricity use by 14 percent during peak hours and 10 percent during non-peak hours.
In April, Gov. Deval Patrick said the State House will replace its 1,000 incandescent bulbs with more efficient compact fluorescent sources, and a number of proposed bills related to green building are pending.
As elsewhere in the country and around the world, “green” initiatives are gaining steam locally. LED sources boast a number of advantages over conventional lighting. Their capability for digital control enables both traditional and new lighting applications, along with a longer lifespan, no radiated heat, no hazardous mercury and better-quality light, say proponents. They also consume less power than many common exterior architectural lighting options, translating to lower electrical expenses.
“If we can provide a client with minimal power consumption but maximum lighting effects, it’s a win-win situation,” said Jay Lehrhaupt of Port Lighting, which helped complete the Bank of America Pavilion project. “The LED-based fixtures give us a palette of virtually unlimited color choices. Even more importantly, the 100 fixtures draw a total of only 5,000 watts of power, allowing us to encompass the entire structure without increasing the power needs beyond what was available.”
LED Effects Inc., a Florida-based company, manufactured the wall of light that was installed by Kinecity LLC, a New Jersey-based company. At several stories high, the outer walls of the south and north facades of the new 7 World Trade Center building in New York City are adorned with a strip of blue light. The light is visible from Freedom Park, an area of lower Manhattan that links several of the city’s landmarks.
California’s Philips Lumileds Lighting Co. has completed work on lighting the Rhein Tower in D
sseldorf, Germany. Luxeon LEDs were used to illuminate the landmark, creating a color-changing symbol for D
sseldorf’s 2012 Olympic Games bid, a new digital clock tower and an environmentally friendly lighting solution that some say sets the standard in new lighting technology.
The first Luxeon-lit tower in Europe, the Rhein’s lights can be viewed across D
sseldorf. The response from the community has been extremely positive, with the tower given a new lease of life and recognized as a major attraction in the city, German officials said.
Not all lighting companies are limiting themselves to building innovation. Element Labs provides LED video technology to entertainment, architectural and signage applications. The Texas-based company illuminated Prince’s performance during the Super Bowl XLI halftime show in February. The products served as the primary lighting feature, outlining the stage in the shape of Prince’s icon.
Also in February, Element Labs set the stage for the 49th Annual Grammy Awards with a large, single array of lighting designed to suspend above the stage. The performers who benefited from the lighting display included the Dixie Chicks, the Red Hot Chili Peppers, John Mayer, Madonna, Sheryl Crow and Kelly Clarkson.
“One of the unique features of this show was the application of Versa TUBEs to display text,” says Richard Pierceall, director of sales and marketing. “It’s a rather unusual and, as we saw, effective use of the product.”
