The project: The City of Philadelphia wanted to modernize the façade lighting by replacing outdated lights with new technology which also allowed for color changing. The new lighting system was installed at the base of City Hall’s clocktower and on the rooftops of 10 adjacent buildings.

Project design: IMEG provided electrical engineering design services to provide power for 222 energy-efficient lighting fixtures along with wireless DMX for the lighting control.

Challenge: Coordinating the project requirements across 10 buildings as well as City Hall, and providing a means (metering) to charge the city for energy used for city hall lighting. Solution: IMEG treated the project as though it was 11 smaller projects — 10 plus City Hall — by working with each owner and studying and learning about the panels and power available for each building. This process ensured the lights installed on each roof were the same fixture even though they are connected to different building systems.

Challenge: The project required power for lights from the buildings with differing power systems in various states of disrepair. Some buildings had well-labeled panels and available spare breakers appropriate for our use, others required upgrades of panels serving other building loads to allow for the new connections. Solution: IMEG provided individualized solutions for each building. In one building, we ended up providing a new panel as we could not easily connect to a circuit per our usual experience. A common problem we faced in other buildings was panel distance — far enough away from the lighting location causing the voltage to drop. To address the situation, IMEG upgraded the wiring to prevent a fire hazard.

Challenge: As an historic building that has seen many additions and renovations over the years, City Hall is almost like four separate buildings, with outdated systems that are different in each part of the building. Solution: Having extensive experience with historic renovations allowed IMEG to be prepared for the unexpected. Panels that no longer existed, replacement parts no longer manufactured, or old panels posing potential fire hazards, allowed us to plan for possible schedule and budget changes.

Outcome: The project provides a sense of new city pride and enhanced safety for visitors to the Center City District, as well as the opportunity to draw diverse communities together for future civic and cultural celebrations.