Fountain Square

Background

Cincinnati is one of America’s largest municipalities, and it is steeped in tradition and history dating back to the 1790s. The city center in Cincinnati is showcased by the Tyler Davidson fountain, a bronze statue gifted to the people of Cincinnati in 1881. The fountain and its surrounding square remain a central gathering place for the community. Recently preservation using modern technology has become a new municipal standard for the area.

Situation

When the city council endorsed a community-wide green initiative, the city began to evaluate ways they could improve their energy savings throughout all city-owned properties. Outdoor lighting, especially at Fountain Square, was quickly identified as a source where the city could both save energy and reduce city maintenance expenses. The fountain in Fountain Square utilized more than 65 high-wattage, incandescent flood lights. Aside from the energy drain of these lights, they output a tremendous amount of heat. As a result, the water from the fountain was needed to cool the fixtures. This meant that the display was inoperable during the winter months when the water was drained from the fountain to prevent damage from freezing. Moreover, since the floodlights were located beneath the water, they were prone to fixture corrosion, leaking, and electrical mishaps. Fountain Square needed a robust, long-term lighting solution that was not only energy efficient, but also maintained or improved the aesthetics of the surrounding area.

Solution

When the Cincinnati city council enlisted Eco Energy for this project, we quickly recognized that energy efficiency and aesthetics were not mutually exclusive. We replaced all existing lights with 90w LED color-changing floods with the ability to direct light – using fewer fixtures and less energy. Beyond that, we were able to address both their energy and aesthetic requirements with a single lighting system.

We enabled sixteen pre-programmed shows through the LED displays, changing colors for different seasons, holidays, and events. The LED solution deployed lamps rated for over 50,000 hours of use, capable of generating significant reductions in city maintenance expenses in addition to energy efficiency savings. The LED lights also maintained cooler temperatures so they could be used without the water, and by design, they were protected from leaking, corrosion, and electrical mishaps.