GE Lighting Up the Olympic Games

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3Q 2016 | IN-4183

At this year’s Olympic Games in Rio, General Electric has been involved in more than 160 infrastructure projects; 80 of which are lighting projects, with GE donating more than 190,000 energy-efficient lighting fixtures over an area equivalent to 1,068 athletic fields (an area that includes the velodrome, tennis center, and Maracanã stadium).

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The Lighting of the Olympic Lights

NEWS


At this year’s Olympic Games in Rio, General Electric has been involved in more than 160 infrastructure projects; 80 of which are lighting projects, with GE donating more than 190,000 energy-efficient lighting fixtures over an area equivalent to 1,068 athletic fields (an area that includes the velodrome, tennis center, and Maracanã stadium).

Being an Olympic partner since 2005, GE looks to give something back to the community of the host city—a legacy lasting beyond the sporting spectacle. So, in addition to providing illumination to the Games, training centers and Olympic Village, GE will leave behind updated lighting in Flamengo Park and the Lapa area.

Beyond the typical lighting solutions, GE also worked with Olympic athletes to develop a way to visually monitor their performance using LED biosensors—a technique that allows sensors to capture acceleration, muscle activity, heart rate, etc. This information is digitally converted and used to drive a series of LED lights to “paint the performance” of an athlete, with parameters such as intensity, color, and frequency being controllable. 

A Lighting Legacy

IMPACT


With half of the newly installed lights being LEDs, Rio can expect to save more than 50% on energy costs compared to traditional lighting. Since the Olympics will require an extra 250MW of energy to run, this is a considerable saving that does nothing but promote the LED movement.

The revamp of the current lighting system of Flamengo Park, which is said to be around 30 years old, involved installing digitally connected LEDs in the lampposts. Telemonitoring of these fittings will allow the city to plan the maintenance of known lamp failures, saving both time and money. With their longer lifespans, the need to replace these hard-to-reach bulbs will be significantly reduced.

As well as installing new streetlights, LEDs have also been fitted beneath the canopy of Flamengo Park; the LED lighting will not only provide a greater feeling of safety in a city infamous for its crime rate, but will also be a step toward smarter lighting applications, such as pollution monitoring and traffic control. 

Gold for LEDs

COMMENTARY


ABI Research currently sees that the LED penetration in stadiums, particularly in Latin America, is still fairly low. However, the global growth of LEDs is significant compared to that of its rival bulbs, topping the lighting podium in the coming years. With the employment of the more energy efficient and controllable lighting, the Olympic Games and GE are expanding into the relatively small stadium LED market.

However, while the long lifespan of LEDs is hugely advantageous for the consumer, ABI Research believes that this feature will inevitably cause a decrease in demand as the need to replace fittings becomes increasingly infrequent. Therefore, in order prevent a decline in the market, companies will need to increase the use cases of LEDs to keep the demand for them at a high. GE’s work in the digital performance management is one such example, whereby the ability to connect and control LEDs is enhanced in order to visually analyse an athlete’s performance in training. Products like this, which are unnecessary yet ‘needed,’ are what the LED market needs if it is to have any longevity. 

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