Eco Factor: Footbridge generates solar energy for a LED lighting system.
Premier Anna Bligh has officially opened the world’s largest footbridge of its kind in Brisbane’s CBD. Constructed at a cost of over $63 million, the Kurilpa Bridge is expected to be used by about 36,500 people each week. The structure is 470m long and more than 1050 people were employed on the project.
Spanning the Brisbane River, the bridge employs a sophisticated LED lighting scheme that can be programmed to produce an array of different lighting effects, which will become a feature of Brisbane’s annual Riverfire celebrations.
The energy-saving lighting system will be powered by 84 solar panels that collectively generate a daily output of about 100KWh and an average yearly output of 38MWh. The solar energy generates supplies 75% of the power required to run the LED setup in the fully lit mode, but in most lighting configurations, 100% of the energy required will come from the solar panels. Surplus electricity generated by the solar array will be returned to the main grid.
Via: EnergyMatters
