As the host country for the 2014 FIFA World Cup soccer championship and the 2016 Summer Olympics, Brazil has been busy with some massive infrastructure projects, including new roads, mass transit projects and airport expansion. A much smaller but still interesting project was started up earlier this year in Florianópolis, the capital city of Santa Catarina, Brazil. The coastal city inaugurated the first phase of its new LED lighting project along the bicycle lane on Beira-Mar Norte, the city's main avenue. Distributor SQE LUZ led the project, timed to coincide with the commemoration of the city's 286th anniversary, in partnership with GE Lighting.
In all, Brazil's fourth-leading city will install 366 GE Evolve Cobrahead LED fixtures. The LED systems consume 50 percent less energy than the previously installed mercury-vapor lamps. With a 50,000-hour rated life, these lights also last five to six times longer than the previous technology. This durability will allow the city to spend less on maintenance. In addition to the savings they represent, GE's Evolve Cobrahead LED fixtures are weatherproof, an ideal characteristic for areas exposed to high salinity and corrosion, thanks to GE's exclusive fixture housing. The fixtures also offer a smaller surface area to combat the effects of wind.
“Known for its natural beauty, this city is also providing a concrete example of sustainable growth by choosing LED technology to light its public areas,” Lionel Ramirez, president and CEO of GE Lighting Latin America, said in a press release on the installation. Ramirez also added that GE Lighting is increasing its global spending on research and development toward finding energy-efficient solutions by 20 percent in 2012.