Streetlight improvements reduce energy use and costs
By early Summer 2025, Cornwall Council's Highway Technology team will have replaced all standard highway lanterns with energy-efficient LED lights – this isn't a simple upgrade – it's a game changer.
LED lights consume 50% less energy than traditional lights. By the end of this financial year, we'll have saved 4,741,996 kWh of energy since the start of the programme, thanks to switching to LED lights and turning off lights where needed.
Once works are complete, we'll have replaced 53,400 lights and be saving 3,453,251 kWh every year. That's enough energy to power 1,278 homes for a year! LED lights have an average lifespan of up to 25,000 hours, meaning fewer replacements, less maintenance, and more reliable lighting.
The benefits don't stop there
Improved lighting can enhance visibility, contributing to overall road safety and community wellbeing. Additionally, these lights benefit the environment and protect surrounding habitats. Cornwall, with its two large dark skies areas, will greatly benefit as our LED lights come with features like dimming, timer illumination, and remote monitoring - these features allow us to adjust lighting based on actual need and help us to conserve energy, while still providing sufficient light where it's most needed.
As part of our commitment to sustainability, we are also implementing the strategic turning off of certain lights during off-peak hours. This initiative aims to find the right balance between energy savings and maintaining community safety. We are closely monitoring the impact and welcome any feedback from the community to ensure that we meet everyone's needs.
This project isn't just about upgrading lights; it's about leading our community towards a sustainable future. And the impact doesn't have to stop at our streets. We encourage you to explore the benefits of LED lighting in your own homes.
We will continue to explore new solutions and ways to improve and make the Highways Electrical area more efficient.