Jan 18 2011
Acuity Brands (NYSE: AYI), a market leader in innovative energy-efficient lighting and control solutions, recently participated in a project to relight and renovate sections of the downtown Detroit area using its Holophane(R) brand of GranVille(R) LED luminaires. The Holophane brand has been a recognized leader in high-quality and lowest total cost of ownership lighting solutions for commercial, industrial, and outdoor applications for over 110 years.
Over the past three years, the City of Detroit Downtown Development Authority executed a plan involving two renovation and improvement projects totaling $3.7M. These projects both included Holophane LED luminaires for park and street lighting.
Detroit's Paradise Valley Streetscape and Open Space Improvement Project began in 2008. This project is one of many developments that have been completed or planned as part of a larger initiative to revitalize and evolve the former Harmonie Park sub-district of downtown Detroit into a new cultural and entertainment center that pays homage to the historical African-American business and entertainment district known as "Paradise Valley". The Capitol Park Improvement Project is another development completed as part of the larger plan to revitalize the lower western district of downtown. Both projects were completed prior to the end of 2010.
The projects feature new softscape and hardscape amenities, including decorative paving and plantings, refurbished sculpture and monuments, a new district audio system servicing the park and plaza spaces, a new park performance stage, and retrofitted park and street lighting. These improvements enhance the ambience of the area and the experience of visiting pedestrians and motorists, which will help support the revitalization of the shuttered but architecturally significant buildings that surround the parks.
"The City of Detroit Downtown Development Authority's recent upgrade from conventional high intensity discharge (HID) lighting to Acuity Brands' Holophane LED luminaires elevates the look and feel of the Capitol Park and Paradise Valley park and plaza spaces, while providing long-term energy savings to the City," states Malik R. Goodwin, Vice President - Project Management for Detroit Economic Growth Corporation.
The Holophane GranVille LED luminaires feature a decorative acorn style and utilize advanced energy-efficient LED engineering, excellent thermal management and prismatic glass optics for maximum performance and long life. The tight tolerances generated from the precision optics in these luminaires direct light where it is needed to maximize energy savings and help ensure design effectiveness. The fixtures are offered with a variety of glass optics, trims, light distribution patterns and uplight options for applications such as parks, city streets, residential areas, campuses, walkways and parking lots.
When asked about the performance of the new Holophane LED lighting in the Detroit improvement projects, Goodwin added, "The new LED lighting performs quite comparably to HID lighting, providing an even light distribution and accurate color rendering of the elements in both public spaces, and properly addresses glare."
"The Holophane GranVille LED luminaires are designed for areas that require a long system operating life combined with an aesthetically pleasing appearance that complements the visual environment," said Jack Ries, Acuity Brands Lighting Vice President and General Manager, Holophane.