National Public Lighting Energy Efficiency Project
Local authorities across the country are working together on a programme that will upgrade public lights to modern LED technology. This programme will improve energy efficiency, cut costs and reduce CO2 emissions.
Across the country there are over 480,000 public lights, improving the safety and security of public spaces during the hours of darkness. Keeping these lights working costs more than €56 million each year, and they account for half of all the energy consumed by local authorities.
The goal of the National Public Lighting Energy Efficiency Project is to convert public lighting to LED technology in all the local authority areas taking part. This will make public lighting significantly more energy efficient, and it will generate substantial savings in energy costs.
Why are LED lights better?
LED lights are better than traditional lights for a number of reasons. They are just as bright as traditional public lights but they use about half the amount of energy. They also allow for dimming at appropriate times, which can add a further 7% to 26% efficiency.
LED lights are cheaper to run. When the switch to LED technology is complete, local authority energy costs will fall by an estimated 50 percent. Plus, LED bulbs can last up to 20 years so they don’t need to be replaced as often as traditional bulbs. This means lower ongoing maintenance costs.
Advances in LED technology also mean LED lighting provides reduced light pollution, enhanced public safety and an improved visual environment over traditional lighting.
What impact will this project have?
The project will upgrade approximately 205,000 public lights through an investment of €150 million. These lights currently consume 123 million kWh of energy annually.
Once the project is complete it will save 68 million kWh in energy, reduce CO2 emissions by 20,000 tonnes, and bring down the energy and maintenance costs for local authorities by €12 million every year.
How is this project being rolled out?
There are 21 local authorities taking part in the project overall. They are divided into three regions: Southern, Eastern and North-West. One local authority leads the rollout of the project in each region.
In the Southern Region the lead local authority is Cork County Council, and participating local authorities include: Clare County Council, Kerry County Council, Limerick City and County Council, and Waterford City and County Council. In this region 77,000 public lights are going to be converted to LED.
Kilkenny County Council is the lead local authority for the Eastern Region, and participating local authorities include: Carlow County Council, Kildare County Council, Louth County Council, Meath County Council, Offaly County Council, Tipperary County Council, Westmeath County Council, and Wicklow County Council. The project will convert 83,000 lights to LED in this region.
In the North-West Region the lead local authority is Mayo County Council, and participating local authorities include: Cavan County Council, Donegal County Council, Galway County Council, Leitrim County Council, Roscommon County Council, and Sligo County Council. In this region 45,000 lights will be converted to LED.
Following a tender process, each lead authority will appoint a contractor to carry out the work. The first region to begin will be the Southern Region, followed by the Eastern and North-West Regions. Support is also being provided by the Road Management Office (RMO), a shared service between the local authorities.
Where can I find out more?
More information on this project can be found at https://publiclighting.ie/