Lenzerheide, the first village with 100% solar lighting
Autonomous solar street lights significantly reduce installation and operating costs while building a greener future
Lenzerheide is a popular mountain resort for skiers and hikers in Switzerland. Nestled in an Alpine valley in the Arosa Lenzerheide region, this charming village has over 200km of slopes and regularly welcomes large numbers of tourists. In 2021, faced with an ageing public lighting infrastructure with 50 year-old cables, frequent outages and high maintenance costs, the local authorities needed to take action.
Autonomous solar lighting, a viable alternative to replace ageing infrastructure
After analysing the public lighting infrastructure, it became clear that upgrading would require a significant investment of 4.25 million Swiss francs over 10 years, with frequent disruptions to the village, which is not ideal for welcoming tourists.
With a strong sustainable energy policy in place - the village was the first in the canton of Graubünden to be awarded the ‘Energy City’ label - a member of the local council suggested autonomous solar street lights, which had been installed in small quantities elsewhere in the valley and would not require major renovation work. An assessment was launched to determine whether the solution would ensure safety on the roads, which are used by more than 5,500 vehicles a day, especially in winter when the resort is busy.
Photinus Schréder seized the opportunity to propose a pilot project with 30 VERTICALIS solar street lights to prove that solar lighting is indeed a very viable alternative.
Customer
Partner(s)
Application(s)
You have to break new ground and take risks to achieve sustainable goals.
VERTICALIS proves it worth
The VERTICALIS demonstrated the simplicity of the replacement process. With no need for power cables, the solar street lights were installed directly in place of the old ones, requiring minimal installation time.
After several months and a few minor adjustments, the local authorities could see that the VERTICALIS, fitted with motion sensors, provided the required lighting levels while maximising energy savings. Data retrieved from the motion sensors confirmed the findings of a previous traffic study, showing a significant decrease in activity after 8pm and an increase at 5am.
Reassured by the VERTICALIS's strong technical and photometric performance and encouraged by the estimated savings of 2 million Swiss francs, the local authorities decided to deploy the VERTICALIS throughout the resort, making it the first village in Switzerland to have 100% solar-powered public lighting.
Setting new standards in sustainable public lighting
Lenzerheide has set a new benchmark for sustainable public lighting by successfully switching to a 100% solar-powered system. The new solar lighting has improved safety within the resort while significantly reducing installation and operating costs. As communities worldwide strive for greener solutions, Lenzerheide's success demonstrates the feasibility and benefits of implementing sustainable alternatives for public lighting.
