‘One-Watt’ traffic signals from Siemens

Small is big news on the Siemens stand as the company unveils its ultra-low consumption One-Watt technology for traffic lights. The move from incandescent bulbs to 230V LED lamp heads had seen an enormous reduction in power consumption (down from 60Watts per head to around 15W) but means the load resistors and switching elements in the signal units are often the biggest energy consumers.
April 6, 2016 Read time: 2 mins

Small is big news on the 189 Siemens stand as the company unveils its ultra-low consumption One-Watt technology for traffic lights. The move from incandescent bulbs to 230V LED lamp heads had seen an enormous reduction in power consumption (down from 60Watts per head to around 15W) but means the load resistors and switching elements in the signal units are often the biggest energy consumers.

With One-watt technology the use of 24V LEDs and digital driver modules has eliminated the need for load resistors and switching elements and means a complete signal head may require only one or two Watts to operate.

This provides huge benefits as a large city like Berlin can avoid some 2,000 tons of carbon emissions and save €500,000 in energy costs every year.

In cities still using conventional filament bulbs in their traffic lights, the potential savings are significantly higher and according to Siemens One-Watt technology traffic signals will typically pay for themselves in less than five years.

Furthermore, Siemens said its LED signals retain full light intensity and also reduce service costs and it monitors voltage, current and the luminosity of the LED units, adding that may become possible to predict when LED units will fail so enable preventative maintenance.

The first One-Watt pilot projects are running in Bolzano, Italy and in Bietigheim-Bissingen near Stuttgart in Southern Germany.

Related Content

  • April 28, 2015
    Cities to invest $64 billion in LED and smart streetlights by 2025
    A new study by the Northeast Group says there are currently more than 2,000 LED and smart streetlight projects globally. With these infrastructure projects, cities and municipalities across the world modernise their streetlights with more efficient light-emitting diode (LED) lights. They are also deploying sensors, communications and analytics software throughout their street lighting infrastructure and creating smart cities. This is a key segment of the emerging Internet of Things. Rapidly falling costs an
    Read More
  • June 6, 2017
    Hyperloop One unveils nine routes across Europe as part of its Global Challenge
    Executives from Hyperloop One joined European dignitaries and policymakers in Amsterdam, Holland today at its Vision for Europe summit to discuss transforming transportation across the continent with Hyperloop.
    Read More
  • April 6, 2016
    Self-illuminating road signs star from HR Groep
    HR Groep’s Infrastructure Category award-winning Smart Ultimate Lighting takes pride of place on its stand in Hall 1. This is a road sign that incorporates a foil (similar to mobile phone screen technology) which illuminates at night to light-up road signs rather than requiring separate incandescent or LED lighting. According to the company the foil provides sufficient light, even in inclement weather conditions such as rain and fog, that the sign remains totally visible.
    Read More
  • July 24, 2017
    Traffex snapshot reveals enforcement advances
    An indication of just how far beyond spot speed and red light the enforcement sector has progressed was evident in the range of new and improved equipment on display at the recent Traffex event in Birmingham. One of the key trends, particularly in the UK but also evident elsewhere, is the increase in average speed enforcement, according to RedSpeed’s managing director Robert Ryan, who predicts a big increase in installations this year. “The price point has reached a level authorities can afford,” he says, a
    Read More

Highlighted Content