Philips Ahead in Enlightened Lighting

July 6, 2004

Philips recently completed work on refurbishing the lighting system of one of the most iconic buildings in the world, the Eiffel Tower, in Paris.
Actually, Philips has a long history of shedding light on the world’s top tourist traps such as the Pyramids at Giza, Tower Bridge in London, Brandenburg Gate in Berlin, the Acropolis in Athens, the coming Olympic Games and a gaggle of other glittering attractions.
Despite this track record and Philips’ involvement in first lighting the Eiffel tower almost 20 years ago, taking part in the project this time round, required meeting some tough demands.

Towering challenge

From the moment Philips Lighting was contacted by the Eiffel Tower Management Company, in charge of running the tender process, the team was aware that this sought-after project was a worthy challenge.

It wasn’t simply a matter of replacing the 352 existing Philips projectors that equipped the Eiffel Tower for the last 18 years.

The tender required the new lighting to save at least 30 percent in energy consumption and the team had to reduce the dimensions of the spotlight equipment by 50 percent.

Monumental wish-list

Three months’ work on site were required; however it had to be organized so that not a single tourist or Parisian noticed a thing. La Dame de Fer had to stay lit, all night, every night.

The lighting also had to conform to new security regulations and operating conditions, which included exceptional vibrations and system sustainability at wind-speeds over 180 kilometers per hour.

Furthermore, the new projector bulbs had to offer the same luminosity ratings as the earlier lamps.

Philips met each and every demand brilliantly, finally winning out the bid after first submitting its technical solutions to an iron-clad series of tests, well beyond current regulatory levels.

Low bills, high allure

Under overall artistic and project management of illumination specialist Pierre Bideau, Philips created a line of new generation energy-saving light bulbs, which helped to preserve the visual impact of the Paris landmark at night, while facilitating savings of a whopping 40 percent on operating costs.

Creating sustainable solutions for lighting is part of Philips’ broader drive to contribute to a better quality of life across the globe.

Making things better

“Environmentally conscious product design, such as the energy saving lamps used in the Eiffel Tower, or as we call it, 'EcoDesign', is part of Philips’ ongoing sustainability program aimed at making things better for today’s and tomorrow’s generations, says Henk de Bruin, Senior Vice President of Philips’ Corporate Sustainability Office.

This program aims to balance Philips’ leadership in technology with being kind to the world around us.

All divisions are continually working together as One Philips to make sure that technological progress fits together with sustainability, by developing innovative solutions that are attractive, while maintaining a perfect respect for the environment.

Philips applies sustainable business practices in all areas - from the suppliers we choose, to the packaging we use, to the diversity of people we hire.

Simply doing business

As Philips moves its sustainable development program forward, it is rewarding to see not only the results that are achieved within the company, but also how those results are positioning Philips in the global marketplace.

Last year Philips was ranked number one in its main industry sector on the Dow Jones Sustainability Index (DJSI). And the company will work together to make sure Philips remains at the top in 2004.

"Sustainability is simply a way of doing business”, De Bruin concludes.

The original press release can be found here.