Sydney City Council plans to roll out LED to cut the City's power bills and greenhouse gas emissions.

 

The sustainable streetlights were trialled in Alexandria Park, Kings Cross, Martin Place and Circular Quay.

 

Building on this success, the City has joined London, New York and Hong Kong in an international trial of smarter street lighting.

 

In a public survey conducted by the City, about 90 percent of people using the areas found it appealing, and three quarters said it improved visibility.

 

According to Lord Mayor Clover Moore lighting makes up six per cent of greenhouse gas emissions globally - roughly double the emissions from global air travel.
 

It also accounts for $19 billion a year in operating costs around the world.

 

Cr Moore said the trial produced high-quality light using about half as much energy as conventional lights - in a wider rollout this could translate to million dollar savings.

 

"With such promising early results, Sydney plans to join cities such as Los Angeles and San Diego in a wider rollout of LED technology across all public lighting,” she said.

 

The new lights use less energy thanks to 'smart controls' that allow light levels to be adjusted remotely bycomputer to suit local conditions - conventional street lights are preset or use clock timers that are changed on site.

 

Three LED manufacturers, Iguzzini, Phillips and WE-EF, have supplied lights for the Climate Group's Lightsavers trial, with each manufacturer allocated six doublelantern light posts on George Street, near Martin Place.

 

The City of Sydney is one of the largest users of street lighting in NSW with 22,000 street and park lights - 13,500 maintained by Energy Australia and 8500 by the City.

 

In 2008/09 the City spent $3.5 million on electricity for public lighting and $2 million on maintenance.