Date Announced: 04 Nov 2011 The parliament building in the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) is beautifully situated on the banks of the Rhine in Düsseldorf. This complex, of great architectural interest, was built in 1988 and was the first newly constructed post-war parliament building in Germany.The challengeWhile this modern building has lost nothing of its futuristic atmosphere after over twenty years, the same could not be said of the lighting in the assembly chamber. “It was harsh and unfriendly, and the lamp ballasts constantly produced a quiet but annoying sound. They also emitted heat, which was not pleasant for those using the chamber. Enhancing the parliament members’ well-being was, therefore, a pressing need.” That was the conclusion reached by the lighting designers at Buro Peter Andres Lichtplanung in Hamburg. This firm was given the job of improving the working conditions by means of a new lighting concept, and at the same time minimizing the environmental impact and energy. The energy expenditures of EUR 50,000 a year were very high compared with those of today’s lighting options.The solutionBuro Peter Andres developed a lighting concept in which different lighting components were geared precisely to one another and to the requirements of the chamber and its users. For general lighting, the handsome Hoffmeister 170 un.limited LED downlights were installed in four concentric circles, unobtrusively following the chamber’s floor plan. These downlights are fitted with the Philips Fortimo LED Downlight Module (DLM) 2000lm, which produces the same light as the original halogen lighting, but with much greater energy-efficiency. The indirect light from the linear floodlights, which have been fitted around the slanting dome, creates a very pleasant atmosphere at night. LED spotlights provide dramatic illumination of the rostrum.BenefitsThanks to the new lighting, the annual energy costs of EUR 50,000 have been reduced to just EUR 5,000, while creating the most comfortable light possible. In order to obtain the highest energy efficiency, fins that move with the sun have been fitted on the exterior of the roof. The use of daylight regulation means that daylight and artificial light are constantly in balance with one another reducing cooling costs. The long life of the Fortimo LED DLM module – 50,000 operating hours – provides additional benefits. The new maintenance costs are considerably lower, as replacing lamps in the high-vaulted chamber costs a great deal of time and money. Because the 170 un.limited LED downlight luminaires have excellent heat management, the light output and long life of the Fortimo LED DLM are guaranteed. With this innovative lighting solution, the NRW parliament has also come a considerable way towards achieving its CO2 reduction targets – 20% lower in 2010.Project overviewCustomer: NRW parliamentLocation: Düsseldorf, GermanyLighting Advisor: Buro Peter Andres LichtplanungLuminaires: Hoffmeister 170 un.limited LED downlightsPhilips products: Fortimo LED DLM 2000lmPhilips account manager: Bertram Königs
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