They expect the new lamps to both save money and also to help address the problem of too much night light. There is a movement in many European towns to reduce energy costs by stopping night lights at a certain hour and this would help by turning the lights on briefly for humans, but then turning off again. The idea is somewhat like apartment hallways in France though you won't have to press a button every ten minutes. I also like that they are actively trying to reduce light pollution. If only they could start doing something about the annoying, lawnmower-like noise of cheap motorcycles and scooters.
Installed on a 500-metre section of pavement last weekend, the lampposts double the strength of the light they cast when they detect human body heat. Ten seconds later they revert to normal.
"It's a prototype. Nothing like this exists anywhere in the world. We pretty much built the technology ourselves," said Alexandre Marciel, the deputy mayor in charge of works, highways, sanitation and lighting.
The aim is to cut energy consumption by around 50%, first on the busy street which runs between a sports stadium and university halls, then more widely. If it is a success, it will be rolled out across the city of around 450,000 people, France's fourth largest.
