Just testing for now
People passing by have the chance to say what they think of the lights and which type they prefer. They will have the option of filling in a questionnaire in the next few days. “We are only testing street-lighting with light-emitting diodes - LED lights; it’s a pilot project and we want to see how these new lights will look and also what the cost will be,” said Radek Svoboda, Director of the Department of Property Management at Prague City Council.
Where can you find them?
The new light sources can be found in parts of Radlická, Božetěchova, Stroupežnického, Klicperova, Matoušova and Nádražní streets and on the grounds of Portheimka chateau. All the street-lights are of very modern design, so they are in harmony with the new architecture of Smíchov. “It’s still just a trial run, we have carried out some analysis of the technical parameters of the lighting and we will compare this after a year of operation,” said Vítězslav Chmelík, director of the Eltodo-Citelum company.
Energy-saving
Since 2007 LEDs have been installed in Prague’s traffic lights. “Energy consumption is six or seven times lower, they have to be changed once in five – seven years, compared to ordinary gas-filled tubes in traffic lights which last about half a year,” said Chmelík. This year, LEDs have been installed at 180 junctions.
What about the historical centre?
The new street-lights are almost futuristic in shape and historians or conservationists would probably not like them, especially if they should replace the traditional Prague lamp-posts in the city centre. “But we must bear in mind the diversity of LED lights that can be used in many types of lamp, so I can imagine that they would work in the historic street-lamps in the city centre,” said Chmelík. “What’s more, LED light has a special character that accentuates the architecture, which might be a benefit to the centre,” added Chmelík.
