Streetlighting: Delegates turned on to alternatives to turning off lights

13 December 2007
 
Lighting engineers can reduce their departments’ carbon footprint without turning off or cutting back streetlighting, if they engage in some green housekeeping, they have been told at Surveyor’s Local Authority Lighting Conference.

Glyn Williams, Cornwall County Council’s highway electrical manager, said the usual knee-jerk reactions to reduce carbon footprints were to cut the amount of time lights were on. But this not only led to social problems, such as a rising fear of crime and an increased risk of litigation, but was also detrimental to four of the five aims of local transport plans – accessibility, local safety, regeneration and reduce congestion. Instead, he said engineers should look at their overall service, including contractors, to work out what carbon reductions could be made through procurement and greener working practices.

‘Once we know our carbon footprint, we can go about reducing it through smarter working practices and the use of new technology,’ said Williams. ‘We now use data collection devices in vehicles, GPS, and remote communication together with remote working and working from home to cut mileage.

‘These methods can all reduce CO2 emissions without taking away from lighting services.’ Delivering the keynote speech, local transport minister, Rosie Winterton, said: ‘DEFRA is currently planning to consult on the potential for more energy-efficient streetlights. Although at present LED lighting is less energy-efficient than conventional streetlighting, we are seeing improvements being made.’

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