A parking lot lighting upgrade at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign makes the campus more energy efficient while enhancing pedestrian safety. Motion sensors in Lot E15, near the intersection of Pennsylvania Avenue and Fourth Street, increase light-emitting diode (LED) intensity from 50% to 100% when movement is detected and help to brighten spaces at necessary times, providing greater visibility of surroundings for occupants.
It is estimated the adaptive bi-level lighting in E15 will reduce energy consumption by more than 80% or 17,000 kilowatt hours annually.
E15 received light fixture upgrades with help from $50K in Student Sustainability Committee funding. The university joined with other peer institutions in 2012 to form the Midwest Collaboration for Adaptive Lighting (M-CAL) with the goal of spreading the techniques to surrounding communities.
As one of its sustainability goals, the university has become the first major research institution to commit to LED technology as its main source of lighting. The majority of all lighting on campus will be LED by 2050.
Adaptive Bi-Level Lighting PDF