PUBLIC LIGHTING
Securing and sustaining smart energy savings
The Mt Edgecombe Interchange in Durban
Public lighting is a crucial visual aid. It reduces road accidents, increases safety and security, and may ultimately attract investment and growth within a municipality. However, it may also significantly contribute to a municipality’s electrical consumption and must be appropriately managed. By Danielle Petterson
F
irst introduced in 1878, public lighting has become an important part of most municipal master plans or town planning development strategies. Bjorn Smidt-Hart, senior engineer: Power and Energy, SMEC South Africa, describes it as a
Bjorn Smidt-Hart, senior engineer: Power and Energy, SMEC South Africa
service with the power to indirectly promote stimulus into the economic growth, and a state of well-being, within a municipality. While public lighting may assist in generating revenue indirectly for a municipality, it also adds to the electrical consumption and operational costs. Smidt-Hart stresses the importance of implementing energy-efficiency initiatives, which assist in reducing energy consumption by municipalities, thereby saving money and alleviating strain on the electrical grid.
Energy efficiency Energy-efficiency initiatives focus on replacing existing non-efficient luminaires with modern energy-efficient LED luminaires, as well as specifying LEDs for new installations. According
to Smidt-Hart, LEDs have a longer operational life, providing consistent and affordable public lighting infrastructure with reduced maintenance and operational costs. In fact, it is estimated that South African municipalities could save 40% of their total public lighting expenditure per annum by switching to quality LED luminaires. SMEC South Africa was appointed by the South African German Energy Programme (SAGEN), implemented by the German International Development Cooperation Agency (GIZ) with funding from the Swiss government through SECO, to develop and implement
IMIESA July 2020
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