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Boathouse Row 2005 – 2010
Location: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
By installing an LED-based lighting system, the Boathouse Row property managers have realized savings of approximately $57,000 in annual labor, materials, and operating costs every year since 2005.
The LED fixtures have delivered effective, full-color light
output since 2005 — over five years of daily operation
— and promise to do so for many years to come.
Philadelphia’s historic Boathouse Row received a high-tech lighting makeover in June 2005. The new intelligent LED lighting system from
Philips Color Kinetics replaced a 30-year-old incandescent system that required frequent and costly maintenance.
A popular Philadelphia landmark, Boathouse Row houses twelve boating clubs in ten architecturally distinct buildings along a halfmile
stretch of the Schuylkill River. PECO, An Exelon Company, spearheaded the relighting project, in partnership with the Fairmount
Park Commission, the Schuylkill Navy of Philadelphia, and the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 98, who
donated the labor. A public campaign raised hundreds of thousands of dollars from individuals, corporations, and foundations to supplement
start-up contributions from PECO.
Prior to the relighting project, Boathouse Row’s property managers were spending more than $50,000 per year on lamp replacements, and approximately $8,000 per year on energy costs. By installing an LED-based lighting system, they anticipated savings of approximately $57,000 in annual labor, materials, and operating costs. A 2010 review of the project confirms these cost savings for each year of operation since 2005, with minimal maintenance and fixture replacement.
The lighting system consists of more than 200 flexible strands of
iColor Flex SL, for a total of more than 12,000 full-color LED nodes.
Because each node is individually controllable, the installation can display intricate, colorful lighting sequences in addition to simple white
light that closely matches the appearance of the previous incandescent system. The entire installation is controlled by a single Light System
Manager (LSM), an Ethernet-based light show authoring and control
solution from Philips Color Kinetics.
A series of colorful, dynamic light shows were created and
programmed by Troy A. Martin-O’Shia of Hase & Associates, Ltd.
According to Martin-O’Shia, “We found that the system was very
flexible. We were not hindered in any way from achieving my vision
of having the boathouses lit with color and movement. In fact, as
we progressed we found new and exciting ways of manipulating the
system.”
“We knew that LEDs were the optimal light source for the project,
based on their energy efficiency, lifetime, and controllability, yet the
technology exceeded our expectations,” said Shannon Yott of Pennell
& Wiltberger, Inc., who co-managed the architectural lighting design
and specifications with Martin-O’Shia. “Not only do we have the
ability to cut operational expenses with the LED-based system, we can
quickly and easily program customized effects for special occasions—
an option that was not possible with the dated, incandescent system.”
Over the years, the Boathouse Row installation has lived up to its
promise. The iColor Flex SL strands, which are in use every day from
dusk to dawn, require minimal maintenance in the spring and summer,
as squirrels sometimes eat through the cables—a problem that could
be avoided by installing all wiring in conduit. Still, only five full strands
have had to be replaced over the past five years. The lighting shows
and effects can be easily changed for special events, such as the annual
Fourth of July celebration, and National Breast Cancer Awareness Day
in October, when the lights are pink. Additionally, corporations have
hired out the lights for branding and promotional purposes—such as
when the lights were turned red to celebrate the return of the worldchampion
Philadelphia Phillies from spring training in 2009.
Overall, the system owners and managers continue to be very satisfied
with the LED-based lighting installation. Labor, materials, and operating
cost savings total more than $250,000 over five years. So far, the
iColor Flex SL strands have delivered effective, full-color light output
daily for over five years, and promise to do so for many years to come.
View the orginal case study on this installation.
View this page in PDF format.
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