Europabrücke

As part of the city's 'Smart Green City' initiative, the City of Konstanz upgraded the lighting on the Europabrücke bridge to a connected LED system in 2025. The objectives were to improve safety, reduce energy consumption, and mitigate environmental impact in order to protect the sensitive ecosystems along the Seerhein, which is part of the Rhine river system.

A total of 52 TECEO luminaires have been installed along on this 37-metre-wide bridge, continuing a design that has been a staple of the city’s urban landscape for over 10 years. These highly efficient LED luminaires integrate FlexiWhite technology, as well as traffic and weather sensors, to collect data on traffic volume and environmental conditions. All of this is controlled by Schréder EXEDRA LightSync, which adapts the lighting according to on-site conditions.

This advanced lighting system ensures safety, energy efficiency and environmental protection. 
 

Precise lighting improves visibility and comfort

Equipped with state-of-the-art LEDs and lenses, the TECEO offers excellent light output and photometry to deliver the required luminance levels for the road (M2) and bike path (P3). They provide a substantial improvement for the thousands of motorists and cyclists who cross the bridge every day, with higher uniformity on the ground and much lower levels of glare.
 

Sensors for light-on-demand 

Traffic and weather sensors have been installed to enable demand-based lighting control. These sensors continuously collect real-time data on traffic volume on the road, bike path and pavements, as well as on speed and weather conditions.

This data is processed by Schréder EXEDRA LightSync, which automatically adapts the lighting levels. When traffic is light, the lighting is dimmed but when there is heavy traffic or poor visibility, the lighting increases to full output to ensure safety.

This real-time responsiveness ensures the right amount of light at all times.
 

Up to 75% less energy consumption  

The old lighting system consumed approximately 61,000 kWh of energy each year. The new smart lighting system, incorporating TECEO and Schréder EXEDRA LightSync, will reduce annual consumption by nearly 46,000 kWh. This represents a substantial 75% saving in energy for the city, helping it to achieve its climate goals. 
 

Lighting that adapts to the 24-hour day

Preserving the fauna and flora that live in the neighbourhood was critical for the city. All of the luminaires are fitted with our FlexiWhite solution which adjusts the colour temperature from 2,200 to 3,000 Kelvin. They deliver a bright white light in the morning when people need to be alert and a warm white light in the evening to protect our skies and wildlife, especially insects which are sensitive to the blue-light spectrum. 
 

Protecting the "Dark Corridor" of the Seerhein

It was equally critical to minimise light pollution on the Seerhein as it is a vital migratory path for fish. The TECEO, with its flat glass protector and optics, directs the light exactly where it is needed, with no light trespass. Measurements of the vertical illuminance on the river were carried out after the installation using a dense evaluation grid of 675 points (27x25) and confirmed an average of 0.18 lux, significantly dimmer than the light of a half-moon. A glare rating of 0.001 (G2) confirms virtually no visible light spill.
 

Connected Smart City infrastructure 

The new connected lighting system for Europabrücke enables data from the sensors to be collected 24/7 and visualised in the Schréder EXEDRA IoT platform. In the near future, it will connect to other digital platforms via API interfaces to facilitate the integration of more services such as traffic control, parking management and environmental monitoring.  
 

A blueprint for modern cities

The Europabrücke connected lighting upgrade is part of the “Smart Cities Model Projects”, funded by the Federal Ministry of Housing, Urban Development, and Construction. The goal is to test innovative, digital solutions for sustainable urban development and share the insights gained with other cities.

By combining high-performance TECEO luminaires with FlexiWhite technology, sensors, and the Schréder EXEDRA LightSync solution, this upgrade exemplifies what modern street lighting could be in the future. With Europabrücke, the City of Konstanz has demonstrated that smart and sustainable LED lighting can enhance urban spaces and save energy, with a deep respect for the Seerhein ecosystem.

It was rewarding to work alongside the City to demonstrate how these objectives can be realised in a tangible way.