StreetLightNews

In Angus, Scotland, the dimming of street lights is to be trialled in order to cut the council’s carbon footprint and its electricity bills. The dimming of street lights will be trialled for a one-year period. Officials report that the dimming of street lights has the potential to cut the council’s electricity bills by 25 %.

It is unclear which company will be running the trial, but it can be confirmed that savings of more than 25 % are achievable. At the Light + Building exhibition in Frankfurt 2008, the Danish utility company Amplex demonstrated several examples of savings generated from street light dimming ranging from 26 % in Istanbul, Turkey to 35 % in Salatiga, Indonesia just to name a few projects. Similar savings have also been achieved in China, Kuwait, UAE, Malta, Denmark and Malaysia.

The Canadian company Hybridyne Power Systems and Japanese founded Panasonic have created a street light solution that is powered by both the sun and the wind. The solution features a solar panel on top of the street light pole, and a vertical-axis wind turbine positioned between the lamp’s two poles.

Since the solution is self-powered, it can be installed anywhere without expensive trenching and wiring. The low-cost solution also eliminates the problem with electricity blackouts, and it features an optional wireless video security webcam. Read more about the Kazekamome system here.

In Donnegal County, Ireland, a private company has been contracted to install a ‘hydro light‘ on the footbridge over the River Finn in Ballybofey. The new installation will feature environmental-friendly LED lights powered from batteries that are charged by a 110 watt turbine placed under the bridge. In case of the water levels in the river drop too low for the turbine to be operated, the lights will have a solar panel back up system.

The technology could also be used in a number of places other than rivers. The article reports that the technology could be used in storm sewers or in roof drainage systems on buildings. As a matter of fact, the city council is currently running a number of pilots, thus experimenting with new technologies as part of their programme for renewable and low energy lighting.

In a London trial, moving vehicles will generate electricity for street lights, road signs and traffic lights as new ‘green’ speed bumps will capture the kinetic energy of vehicles. The idea is designed by Peter Hughes, an engineer who formerly advised the United Nations on renewable energy sources. If the trial proves successful, the new solution could be rolled out in the rest of Britain.

With a steady flow of traffic, four of these bumps could generate enough electricity to power street lights, road signs, and traffic lights for a mile-long stretch of street. Energy not used immediately can be stored or fed into the national grid.  The ramps are silent, comfortable, and they do not damage your car or waste petrol as you drive over them, Peter Hughes explains.

The article also reports that a nightclub opened in Rotterdam, Netherlands last year, and the club is run partly on energy generated by people dancing. The name of the nightclub? Club WATT.

In the German village of Doerentrup, a local engineer has come up with an idea for on-demand street lighting. As a result of rising energy prices, the local authorities have agreed to turn off the street lights at 9 pm to save on electricity and CO2 emissions. But that does not mean that the residents of Doerentrup are left to walk the streets unsafely in complete darkness.

Now, it is possible to turn on the street lights in specific areas at any time. The residents simply have to register on-line, then dial a central number, punch in the specific code for the street(s) they are about to walk, and the lights turn on instantly. As a resident, you only pay for the phone call, and the authorities pay for the electricity.

As Discovery News also reports, this solution is of course easier to implement in small villages. In Doerentrup, the authorities report that the idea has generated savings of about 25 %. For a video presentation, click here.

As a result of rising energy prices during 2008, several cities and villages throughout Wales have been turning off the street lights to save money. However, the Powy council agreed to turn the street lights back on because a citizen of Llangynog offered to pay for the lights from December to April. Expensive? No, not really. The price is £ 295 for all four months.

That means that the village of Llangynog, which lies at the foot of the Berwyn Mountain Range in Powys, Wales, is being lit up for 15 p per day. The BBC article does not report how many street lights there are in Llangynog, but the small farming community of about 250 people indicates that the number of street light poles is probably limited. Read more here.

At StreetLightNews we simply conclude that this is yet another alternative in terms of operating street lights as energy prices continue to rise.

The New York Times reports that a number of cities have turned off or are planning to turn off a number of their street lights in order to save on the electricity bill because of high energy prices and tight budgets. It is alarming news when considering the safety of the respective citizens.

Further, the NY Times writes that the city of Santa Rosa, California has come up with the idea of adopting a light. The adopt-a-light programme gives the local citizens the opportunity to contribute to the Public Works Department. For $150, you can turn a darkened street light back on.

However, the article does not suggest street light dimming although many municipalities and cities around the world has benefitted from dimming, reporting savings of up to 25-40 %. Further, if the street light solution features fault detection, the operator will be much better equipped in terms of coordinating maintenance, thus saving time and money. All in all, dimming seems a brilliant alternative to darkening the streets.

The Worcester Telegram & Gazette reports that the city council of Fitchburg, Massachusetts plans to eliminate many street lights in an effort to save money. The suggestions so far propose that either one in four street lights be turned off, or the street lights should be turned on at major intersections, and shut off at half of the remaining fixtures. No suggestion related to dimming was allegedly discussed during the meetings.

The benefits of dimming are clear and well-documented. Companies offering solutions in street light management can generate energy savings of 25-40 percent through dimming and more exact burn hours. Such a solution can typically be installed in every pole or simply in the control cabinets, the latter being the most cost-friendly solution. Therefore, dimming would be a great alternative to the suggested solutions in Fitchburg, which in practice would mean that all lights can be left turned on, thus maximizing a high level of safety for the citizens while saving energy and money at the same time.

BBC News is reporting that more than 15,000 street light columns, or over 85% of the stock, will be replaced in Redcar and Cleveland, UK. The existing columns have passed their 25-year life expectancy, and another 2,500 street lights will be added over the next few years in order to raise the standard of the cities’ public lighting. It has been established that the distance between the existing lights is too large, so the additional 2,500 street lights will ensure better lid roads and improve safety for both motorists, bicyclists and pedestrians.

In Hanoi, Vietnam, the street light installations are outdated and not very energy efficient. Also, many of the poles are placed in the center of the road where they do not do pedestrians much good.
Therefore, the plan is to change 1,000 11-meter concrete poles with 9-meter aluminum ones. Furthermore, almost 2,000 bulbs will be replaced with energy-efficient bulbs (LEDs?). If the plan is approved, the lights will be changed by 2010 for the city’s 1,000-year anniversary. Read the article…