Gwangju joins Cree LED City program

GWANGJU, SOUTH KOREA: Cree Inc. announced that Gwangju, South Korea, is the first city in South Korea to join the LED City initiative, an international program that promotes the deployment of energy-efficient LED lighting.

Gwangju, South Korea's center for the advancement of photonics, is home to 180 companies that were formed to research, develop and commercialize LED lighting products.

A wide variety of LED light fixtures illuminate the Kimdeajung Convention Center, World Photonics EXPO 2009, KEMCO Honam Energy & Climate Change Center, and the Gwangju Metropolitan City underground parking lot.

By replacing fixtures from parking indicator lights to streetlights, the city calculates that the highly-efficient LED lights are expected to use approximately 30 percent less energy than current fluorescent lamps, which could save the city up to 234,000 kWh and reduce carbon emissions by as much as 8,465 kg annually.

Gwangju will highlight its LED lighting installations and participation in the LED City program when it hosts the World Photonics Expo later this year from October 9 to November 5.

Expo participants and visitors will be encouraged to visit LED lighting sites to experience this new, energy-efficient technology first-hand and to learn more about deploying LED lighting in their own cities.

"We are excited to showcase LED lighting throughout our city," said Mayor Park Kwang-Tae. "A tremendous amount of investment and effort has been put toward various photonics industry technologies locally, and we are proud to demonstrate the energy and maintenance cost savings that can be gained with LED lighting.

"Through our participation in the LED City program we hope to help other cities throughout the world adopt LED lighting and to draw attention to the high-quality LED lighting products produced here in South Korea."

"It is especially satisfying to see our LED lighting products being installed here for the benefit of our fellow citizens," said Dr. EunYoung Yu, president of Korea Photonics Technology Institute. "For the last eight years, we have worked to develop the highest quality LED lights. Our goal is to bring this highly energy efficient and low-maintenance technology to neighborhoods, offices, schools and public places throughout South Korea."

LED City
The LED City is an expanding community of government and industry parties working to evaluate, deploy and promote LED lighting technology across the full range of municipal infrastructure to:

* Save energy
* Protect the environment
* Reduce maintenance costs
* Provide better light quality for improved visibility and safety.

According to the US Department of Energy, approximately 20 percent of electricity used in the world powers lighting. In a world with soaring energy prices based on the availability and control of fossil fuels, and with growing concern about sustainability of the environment, a revolution in lighting is long overdue.

Participants include Raleigh, NC; Ann Arbor, MI; Austin, TX; Anchorage, AK; Tianjian, China; Torraca, Italy; Toronto and Welland, ON; Indian Wells, CA.