Illuminating rural paths rarely taken at night entails high energy consumption and costs for municipalities. In addition, the light can make it hard for residents to sleep at night. In pilot projects in the towns of Königsbrunn and Friedberg in the German state of Bavaria, the energy provider Lechwerke and a luminaire company installed LED systems on a cycling and walking trail. A sensor registers approaching people, makes the dimmed light brighter, and sends a signal to the next lamp. After a programmed time period, the lights dim again. The result: safe rural paths using up to 70 per cent less electricity.