13 December 2006
By Martin Pollack
A brightly coloured soccer ball hangs above Table Mountain like the full moon; fire engines work overtime to keep City residents safe; smart new houses glitter on the horizon; an effective public transport network streams across the sky…
Every year Cape Town's festive season lights reflect important City themes or dreams, but this year one theme is so important that it features on every single light! But unless light-gazers know what they're looking for, they might not even notice…
That's because every one of the 5 000 LED (light emitting diode) lamps and 15 000 metres of rope lighting are energy-efficient, cost-saving and environmentally friendly.
Says Charles Kadalie, the City's manager for public lighting: "Rope lighting was selected as the most cost-effective method, as it dramatically reduces the loading on the system. Of course the flexibility of the rope lighting also allows us freedom with our designs."
Light emitting diodes are a low-energy consumption device; therefore 100 LEDs will consume only 440 watts, says Kadalie.
One hundred metres of rope lighting consumes 1 000 watts of electricity, while the more usual 100 m of streamer wire (with 300mm spacing of lamp holders with 15W lamps) consumes 4 900 watts.
It cost the City about about R2 million to install the lighting across the city.
This new-look illumination show - named "Sisonke, We are Together - was switched on by Executive Mayor Helen Zille in Adderley Street on 26 November. The lights are remote controlled and will now be switched on at 8:10 pm every day. The show will stay up until the end of January.
Deputy Mayor Andrew Arnolds switched on the lights in Somerset West on 29 November. Other areas that have festive lights are Athlone, Atlantis, Bellville South, Bonteheuwel, Brooklyn, Crawford, Delft, Fish Hoek, Garden Village, Gatesville and Guguletu.
The City will host a number of programmes in mid-December where children will be able to switch on the lights themselves.
Presentation for Seminar
