Philips shows future of light at V&A Waterfront

Cape Town - Royal Philips kicked off its sixth consecutive Cape Town to Cairo roadshow by lighting up the Clock Tower, the Port Captain’s building and the Swing Bridge, at the V&A Waterfront in Cape Town on Tuesday evening.

The theme of this year’s roadshow, which will cover 12 000km across 11 cities and 8 countries over a period of 4.5 months, is "Sustainability through Innovation" as the company wants to spearhead the LED lighting revolution in Africa with smart lighting solutions designed for the continent.

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Energy performance in public spaces

As a contribution to enhancing the attractiveness of iconic monuments across Africa, while reducing energy consumption in parallel - a project that Philips started during last year’s roadshow - Philips has installed its latest Vaya LED lighting solutions combining warm and cool daylight colours at the Clock Tower, the Port Captain’s building and the Swing Bridge.

The LED Lighting installed has a lifetime of up to 50 000 hours and is cutting edge, with each luminaire having its own IP address.

Lighting is thought to consume around 15% of the total electricity output of an economy like South Africa's and it has been calculated that approximately half of a city’s energy bill goes on lighting – for public offices, schools and outdoor environments.

One can,therefore, make significant savings – on average 40% – simply by switching to energy-efficient lighting technologies.

"With electricity use a constant concern across the African continent, workable and sustainable solutions are needed now more than ever. Driven by an increase in urbanisation and transformation in Africa, a tremendous opportunity for economic and social development exists." according to Philips.

"However, large scale growth also presents huge challenges, specifically with regard to energy. Energy efficiency is crucial to achieving smart cities of the future that are livable, safe and also aesthetically pleasing."

Illuminating South Africa’s oldest sea-faring monuments
The V&A Waterfront is a very popular destination for international visitors and locals in Cape Town; the illumination of these iconic monuments at the Waterfront adds to the beautification of the entire area.

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(Supplied)