Keeping a pretty city

green at night

When it comes to beautiful sights, Rietberg already had a lot to be proud of. The picturesque city, situated on the upper Ems river, is full of green banks and half-timbered houses from the 16th and 17th centuries. Following a successful bid for a grant from the national ‘Communities in a new light’ competition in April 2010, Rietberg began an initiative to relight the city center with energy-efficient systems.

LED architectural gave an old city a modern edge. CitySpirit lanterns now make the streets sparkle at night by filling Rietberg with clean, refreshing illumination. Residents feel safe and comfortable, and the light brings out the colors of quaint houses and leafy river banks. The new system is managed through the CityTouch platform, which enables individual monitoring and dimming of luminaires. With greater control over individual lights, Rietberg can now reduce energy costs significantly.

Applying cutting-edge lighting to the buildings, main shopping streets and green spaces has significantly upgraded Rietberg’s image and atmosphere. In addition, it has boosted tourism and bolstered the local economy. And because citizens were highly involved in the creative process, their lives have been directly improved by the new lighting.

Thanks to the efficient performance of the lights and control platform, Rietberg will use 49.5% less energy than it did with the old system, and reduce C02 emissions by 29.3 tons annually. The city will save €117,476 in energy over the next 10 years.