Converting Standard Lighting to LED

Back in 2018, the lighting in the outdoor areas and places of work at RWTH was investigated and analyzed for its savings potential. In multiple pilot projects, the possibility of converting parts of the lighting to LED was tested and proven to be feasible and economically efficient. The investigated areas were the halls, the traffic routes, the grid ceilings, the outdoor areas, and workplaces.
Over the next few years, the potential offered by converting T8 fluorescent tube lightbulbs in grid lights, parking lots, and traffic routes, as well as in halls with particularly high-output bulbs and rooms with excessively low minimum illuminance levels will be reviewed from a technical, operational, economic, and occupational safety perspective with the aim of converting the lighting in these areas to green alternatives.

The challenges here include pollution load on surfaces, limit values for illuminance, product availability, and product requirements, e.g. being able to replace bulbs individually. In the latter case, technological advances and the corresponding increase in the service life of the bulbs mean that it sometimes makes sense to replace the entire lighting system despite the associated loss of resources. Overall, the pilot projects achieved average energy savings of 30–50% compared to conventional lighting, which in turn leads to shorter pay-back periods.
By comprehensively converting lighting to LED, RWTH is able to benefit from the significantly longer service life of these lights; therefore, the conversion process is being continued.