A new control system for solar powered LED lights has been invented for Moonee Valley City Council to illuminate trees at a key intersection in metropolitan Melbourne. David Söderblom and Darren Kirschner, who run an electrical company AA Sparky, developed LED lighting specifically for Moonee Valley City Council to use at the intersection of Buckley Street and Milleara Road in Moonee Ponds.
They used a new control system on LED television technology to create a light bright enough to illuminate 8m high trees that would run on just six watts of power. They have named the new control technology Computerised Electronic Lighting systems (CELs).
David Söderblom estimates the CELs lights will run for up to 30,000 hours, compared to the 10,000 hour lifespan of an average street light. Because the CEL system does not need 240 volts and has reduced the energy consumed, the lights can run on solar energy eliminating the need for expensive boring and trenching to supply mains power to the site. David estimates this technology will save Moonee Valley Council $16,000 in project installation costs alone.
“One of the major concerns for Councils is the stress placed on ageing infrastructure, such as power lines, switchboards and building cables,” he said. “The improved energy efficiency of these lights will reduce that stress dramatically.”
With 49.9 per cent of Greenhouse gas emissions related to the production of electricity, David Söderblom anticipates the CEL system will reap enormous benefits for the environment.
“With normal lights, a massive amount of energy is wasted as heat,” he said. “The LED lights operate at a much lower temperature, which also reduces the possibility of a fire. When you combine those benefits with the control system developed for the Council the savings are enhanced. In addition, LED lights are capable of operating at extremely low voltages so the prospect of an electric shock is all but eliminated and electrical noise is significantly reduced.”
Moonee Valley Mayor, Jan Chantry, said the project demonstrates Council’s commitment to reducing greenhouse gas emissions by installing innovative and energy efficient lighting.
“This LED solar powered technology is new to Australia and Moonee Valley is pleased to pioneer the use of more energy efficient lighting,” Mayor Chantry said.
David Söderblom believes the CEL system will become widely used in the Local Government sector and may also have domestic applications.
“It appears that they can also be installed into homes,” he said. “It is likely that with 130,000 new homes being built every year and most homes having more than 20 downlights that is going to be a huge saving.
For further information on the CEL lights contact David Söderblom on (03) 9743 3666.
