Sensationalist, biased articles in national newspapers, token switch-off ceremonies and misguided legislation have made it even more important that sustainable lighting design is promoted positively to the public. The first Switched On London took place in the Pool of London in February 2007 in order to do this. Organised from conception to launch in under six months, the event involved lighting landmarks such as City Hall, Tower of London and London Bridge in an energy efficient way. The festival attracted widespread support from the architectural lighting industry as well as important institutions such as the Mayor of London, City of London council, Southwark council, Visit London, New London Architecture, The Pool of London and the Arts Council.

Switched On London attracted considerable positive publicity with reports being featured on both BBC and ITV regional news programmes. Articles also appeared in Time Out magazine, The Evening Standard, Metro, The London Paper and City A.M. as well as numerous UK and international lighting and event industry publications and websites. The event was well attended by the general public with photography of the festival appearing on websites worldwide.

The 2008 festival, which will be held in the Pool of London from February 7th - 14th, will expand on 2007 and incorporate more schemes. Supported by the Mayor of London, there is a target of 15 major installations including a number of light related art installations. Leading lighting designers and manufacturers will be paired together to create some stimulating schemes using sustainable light.

We are also aiming to hold an exhibition concurrently to explain the thinking behind each scheme and also to show the energy usage of the schemes. The whole event will be audited for its energy consumption and its overall environmental impact whilst at the same time we will be highlighting the unnecessary lighting of office space at night in the area. The fact remains that, despite what some hysterical reports say, we need light in our night-time urban environment. Accident prevention, reduced crime and a reduction in the fear of crime and promoting the use of streets after dark thus enhancing peoples' freedom to interact and be mobile after dark are all extremely important factors.

Although we understand that energy use is a 'burning issue', we need light to live and as our lifestyles evolve, the benefits of good urban lighting are undeniable. The perception is that architectural lighting leads to wasted energy and light pollution. However, the majority of the lighting industry continually strives to tackle the issue of energy. From luminaire design that avoids light pollution to the promotion of lower energy and more efficient sources, the lighting industry is well educated in recycling, waste issues and the misuse of our natural resources. Our hope is that Switched On London will have value beyond simple decoration. It is an opportunity to use light to educate the public and newspaper journalists alike. It is essential to illuminate better, not less.