Sylvania Group supports Paris La Défense Arena in the deployment of the 3rd part of its ambitious CSR strategy

While electricity prices are soaring, no economic sector is exempt from the need to reduce energy consumption. And this, all the more so for the events sector, whose bill has tripled or even quadrupled for certain professionals.

To comply with the first deadline of the approaching tertiary decree, theater managers must tackle the difficult task of reducing their energy consumption by 40% by 2030.

Paris La Défense Arena intends to achieve this objective by 2025 thanks to a virtuous approach initiated in 2019. In this context, the largest indoor venue in Europe has just deployed the 3rd part of its energy optimization strategy by s relying on the support of Sylvania Group to reduce its lighting-related expenses.

An energy sobriety policy around 3 priority areas

Inaugurated in 2017, Paris La Défense Arena has, since its design, had all the elements to meet energy challenges (high-performance thermo-acoustic insulation, rainwater recovery system, 34 solar panels). After two years of operation, under the leadership of Jacky Lorenzetti, president of the Olvato group and owner of the 55.000 m enclosure², the teams in place commit to a CSR approach. Taking into account the needs and expectations of all stakeholders, the objective aims to carry out all activities responsibly by integrating each event into a virtuous approach through three pillars: economic, social and environmental.

The energy performance of the building being one of the main challenges to be met as part of its CSR policy, Paris La Défense Arena is then carrying out two audits which identify the main action levers to be put in place, in the short and medium term, to an effective reduction in its consumption:

raising awareness among people working on the site about a more virtuous use of energy, whether among the 150 employees and service providers present continuously or among the 15.000 to 43.000 spectators welcomed during the 50 to 60 events organized each year,
improving the energy management of the building, in close collaboration with its service provider Dalkia in charge of maintenance, in particular by adapting the lighting, heating and air conditioning according to the operation of the site.

These first actions implemented having had a significant impact (reduction in consumption of 32% for energy and 58% for water vs. 2019), Paris La Défense Arena launched the third stage of its plan last spring. energy sobriety: investment in less energy-consuming solutions, starting with the partial renovation of its lighting installation with LED luminaires from Sylvania.

Continued efforts for even more significant results

Electricity representing the main source of energy consumption on the site, act on this item by replacing the old fluorescent lighting fixtures (2×58 W for waterproof ones and 2×26 W for downlights) located in the areas adjoining the room by LED solutions has established itself as an efficient and quick lever to activate.

Following a call for tenders launched at the end of 2022, Paris La Défense Arena selected Sylvania to carry out this project.

For Pierre Sallé, CSR Manager of the site: « Their turnkey offer, both from a technical point of view, due to the quality of the luminaires offered, as well as operationally (supply, installation) and in project management with a single contact, represented real added value for us. »

From the end of April to the beginning of July 2023, a team of 10 people on average from the Bentin company was mobilized to carry out, according to a very precise schedule provided by Paris La Défense Arena, the change of the lighting fixtures at:

of the technical grill, a spectacular and essential tool for the scenography of the largest productions. The implementation of 337 START Waterproof 1200 mm waterproof polycarbonate boxes, each equipped with 2 ToLEDo T8 tubes, constituted a real technical feat for the installer who was then at a height of almost 40 meters. With a unit power of 19,5 W (39 W per device, almost 3 times less energy-consuming than old fluorescent lights), the 670 ToLEDo T8 tubes were covered in blue sheaths in accordance with the wishes of Paris La Défense Arena to reduce their luminous flux (2000 lm),
of the car park with the removal/installation according to the same layout of RESISTO waterproof lighting fixtures with microwave presence detection.

For Thomas de Oliveira, Sales Engineer at Sylvania Group: « By combining new LED technology, a power of 36 W instead of 2×58 W and simple remote lighting management, this will be one of the most significant parts in terms of energy savings. »

corridors for the general public adjoining the room which house the catering points and merchandising. Here again, the RESISTO LED luminaire was chosen because, in addition to its ease of installation and its possible evolution over time, it met the request of Paris La Défense Arena in terms of rendering (4000K, CRI80), luminous efficiency (137 lm/W), resistance (IK08) and waterproofing (IP66). The site manager also appreciated Sylvania's recommendations to harmonize the number of luminaire references on site in order to simplify maintenance,
of the 8 VIP lounges, the 100 boxes and their circulation areas with the installation of 2.964 START 25 W downlights instead of the fluorescent models which, with the ballast, consumed 60 W per device.

In total, more than 5.400 luminaires including 2.104 RESISTO controlled by the site's GTB were supplied by Sylvania and installed by the Bentin company, both of which demonstrated great flexibility in adapting to the constraints of the site and respecting the given timing.

Perfectly in line with the CSR approach initiated 3 years ago by Paris La Défense Arena, this renovation of the lighting with LED solutions from Sylvania should allow the venue to divide its energy bill by at least 50%. this post.

For Pierre Sallé: « According to the simulations that we have carried out using the elements provided by Sylvania and what we previously consumed, we ideally estimate that after 2 and a half years we will not be far from the ROI and this is all the more important. given the increase in the level of our activity linked to the 2024 Olympic Games and the numerous events planned for the coming years. With a significantly increasing room utilization rate, the savings will quickly be felt »

If the energy gains made thanks to this project allow the venue to achieve its objectives, Paris La Défense Arena will continue to maintain this virtuous circle by optimizing its energy management and adapting its site to changes in new technologies.