Renfrewshire Council has given the go-ahead for a major investment in new LED street lighting which will save a whacking £750,000 a year due to lower electricity consumption, lower maintenance costs and a reduction in carbon tax payments.

Council chiefs say the £11m investment will protect the environment, save money on running costs and improve safety on the streets at night.

eddie devine led

The decision will see almost 29,000 streetlights across Renfrewshire fitted with new, energy-efficient LED lamps which consume around 60% less power than conventional lamps and last five times longer.

With an expected lifespan of 20 years-plus for an LED lamp compared to four years for a conventional light, maintenance costs will be reduced considerably and there will be less chance of residents and businesses being inconvenienced by faulty lights.

Another benefit of the new LED technology is that it emits a more natural white light that allows colours to be seen more clearly. The light also produces better quality CCTV images which can help to deter crime and antisocial behaviour, and improve detection rates for incidents.

Councillor Eddie Devine, convener of Renfrewshire Council’s Environment Policy Board, said:

“At the moment, street lighting accounts for one-fifth of the council’s CO2 emissions. By making this major investment in new, green LED technology, we are taking a significant step to meeting our carbon reduction targets.

“By lighting our streets with technology that uses less energy, we are also protecting council tax payers against the effects of future energy price increases.

“By carrying out this replacement programme across the whole of Renfrewshire, we can do it in the most efficient and cost-effective way and ensure that all of our communities benefit from this new, green technology.”

The replacement programme is expected to start in January 2016 and to be completed by March 2017. In most cases, the new LED lamps will be fitted to existing lamp-posts, making the exercise quick and straightforward.

The new Renfrewshire-wide investment programme follows the council’s decision earlier this year to fit more than 1,800 new LED lamps in Erskine.

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