A city in France has started using bioluminescent lighting

Report regarding “Eco-friendly Urban Technology”

Rambouillet, a city in France, is leading the way with its new sustainable source of lighting: bioluminescence. 

Bioluminescence is a type of light created by live organisms, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The light is made when a chemical reaction cycles through the organism’s body. Typically, bioluminescence can be observed in oceans and caves.

However, in 2019, Rambouillet began working with a company called Glowee that uses bioluminescence to construct eco-friendly lights in urban areas. Glowee developed a very specific process to create the bioluminescent organism lights. The organisms they use are Aliivibrio fischeri, and the company puts them in plastic tubes as the body for the light. When the light is switched on, it provides them with the right conditions to result in the light-inducing chemical reaction. When the light is switched off, the oxygen in the tubes goes away and stops the chemical reaction, therefore terminating the bioluminescence.

When asked about their mission, Glowee explained that their company wants to make a positive difference in the world.

“Our company’s goal is to change how cities use light. We want to create an ambiance that better respects citizens, the environment, and biodiversity—and to impose this new philosophy of light as a real alternative,” the company said.

These bioluminescent lights have already been put into streetlights in Rambouillet. This has confirmed the lights need less energy than more common alternatives such as LEDs. Through Glowee’s and other companies’ research, bioluminescent lights have proved to reduce carbon dioxide emissions. This means that the switch to bioluminescent lights would decrease greenhouse gasses and help reverse climate change. In the future, other cities may follow suit and begin the transition to bioluminescent lighting.