News / Streetlights: SIC councillors easily LED
SHETLAND Islands Council is to investigate whether to spend over £2 million on replacing many of its existing streetlights with modern LED lanterns, which use “at least” 50 per cent less energy than conventional lighting.
Members of the environment and transport committee on Monday agreed to sanction a detailed report and then produce a fully-costed proposal after hearing that the Scottish Futures Trust estimates the capital cost of replacing the lights could be funded by the resulting long-term savings.
The local authority has around 3,900 streetlights and additional external lighting on public buildings, leisure centres, ferry terminals and piers – and the council’s share of that lighting could be included in the proposed upgrade to LED lights.
Six LED lanterns were installed in Lerwick’s Bank Lane around five years ago and they have operated “without fault”. In the past couple of years a further 125 LEDs have been installed by the council’s roads service when replacing “conventional” lights.
A report from roads manager Dave Coupe stated that existing streetlights were in “relatively poor condition” and there has been underinvestment.
Most of the lights were installed 25 or more years ago and are “now showing the level of wear and tear to be expected from long term exposure to Shetland’s climate”. Some have been removed for safety reasons but existing maintenance budgets are insufficient to replace them all.
In October 2012 the council agreed a policy of managed reduction, which involves retaining streetlights “at locations where it is most needed”. Some lighting has been completely removed and in other areas lights are only on for part of the night to save energy.
Preliminary design work costing £50,000 will be undertaken, with the full cost of the project in the region of £2.2 million.
Meanwhile, the committee also discussed the prospect of using hydrogen as a fuel for council buildings, vehicles and ferries. Renewable technology could be used to produce hydrogen, diversifying Shetland’s energy supply and reducing its dependence on fossil fuels.
Council members gave their backing to developing a hydrogen production facility in Shetland and has received a £25,000 Scottish Government grant, which is being used to fund the Unst Partnership’s analysis of the potential market for hydrogen.
It is estimated that building a demonstration facility will cost around £530,000 and discussions have been held with the PURE Energy Centre about how a system could be designed.
A bid for external funding is to be submitted by the end of October, with a view to production commencing in late 2016 or early 2017.
If it is successful, the heating system at the SIC’s Gremista depot could be replaced with new hydrogen technology to assess its potential.
The council believes hydrogen could be a “sustainable, self-sufficient option” for Shetland that would both reduce its energy costs and its carbon payments to the Department of Energy and Climate Change.
Meanwhile, the committee also discussed the local authority’s five-year energy efficiency action plan – aimed at reducing energy and water use in SIC buildings between now and 2020.
The council says it has identified projects to reduce the energy costs of heating and lighting buildings including schools, care homes and offices by improving heating and ventilation, replacing light fittings and upgrading insulation.
Environment and transport committee chairman Michael Stout said: “I welcome these reports, which highlight projects which could significantly reduce our carbon footprint as a local authority, and to do our bit to address climate change.
“In particular, I am very pleased to see support for the business case for LED street lighting that should allow us a cost-effective means of replacing the majority of our ageing streetlights.”
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