International application of led lighting

    The Paris Metro will become the world's largest transportation network with LED lighting. The Paris public transport organization RATP has signed a four-year contract with Philips and French lighting company Step and Soitec as part of a lighting renovation contract totaling 11 million euros. Together, they will complete the transformation of 250,000 lights in the Paris Rapid Rail Transit System (RER), which includes 302 subway stations and 66 suburban subway stations. RATP hopes to reduce its energy consumption by transforming more than half of its lamps into LEDs, while improving the quality of light.

    The RATP tender was issued in June last year. The local manufacturer Step and Philips won the largest share (this tender was divided into 6 batches, 5 of which were awarded to them), and the rest was made by Grenoble. The semiconductor specialist Soitec (a city in southeastern France) is responsible. Benjamin Azoulay, general manager of Philips Lighting France, said that this cooperation will make Paris "a transportation network fully equipped with LED lighting in the world."

    Approximately one million square meters of space will be re-lit by LEDs, including station entrances and exits, ticket halls, corridors and platforms. RATP described this project as a "Titanic-like challenge." The Paris rapid rail network transportation system transports about 12 million passengers a day. The LED lighting project will reduce its energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions by 15% between 2004 and 2020, and reduce electricity consumption by about 12%. The led lighting project will officially begin next month. The shou site will be the Franklin D. Roosevelt subway station in the center of Paris. Between 2013 and 2017, more than 100 subway stations and RER stations will complete the lighting renovation every year.