StreetLighting

A T5 streetlight recently installed in Haward Walkway, Hillside Road, Rosanna

Electricity for streetlighting in Banyule accounts for about 7,300 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions or about 47% of the Council’s total. These figures would be higher if it were not for Council investing more than $20,000 annually in the purchase of ‘GreenPower’. ‘GreenPower’ is government-accredited electricity sourced from renewable sources such as wind and solar. The GreenPower purchasing makes up 10% of Council’s major streetlight electricity accounts and results in the reduction of about 700 tonnes of emissions. It is Council’s single most significant abatement activity.

 

In partnership with NAGA (see below), focus is now being directed at further reducing streetlight emissions and electricity costs by investigating the replacement of energy-inefficient Mercury Vapour (MV) lights on minor residential streets. Approximately 70% or 8,000 of Banyule’s streetlights are 80 watt MVs, which use an additional 16 watts for control gear (totalling 96 watts). Council is trialling a new energy-efficient replacement – the Twin 14 watt Triphosphor Flourescent streetlight or ‘T5’ for short. These produce comparable light output to the MV, but at only 31 watts, which makes the T5 about 70% more energy-efficient.

 

If successful, the replacement of old MVs with T5s will result in the following approximate annual savings:

 

  • 2.2 million kilowatt-hours of electricity
  • $200,000 in electricity costs
  • 2,800 tonnes of greenhouse gas emission 

The saving of 2,800 tonnes represents almost two thirds of council’s 2010 30% emissions reduction target. For more information regarding Banyule’s emission reductions click here.

Streetlights and the Northern Alliance for Greenhouse Action (NAGA)

NAGA began operating in 2002 and has quickly grown into a network of Councils that cooperates on and coordinates significant emission reduction projects within Councils and their communities. NAGA counts the Banyule, Darebin, Hume, Moreland, Whittlesea, Manningham, Melbourne and Yarra City Councils, Nillumbik Shire Council and the Moreland Energy Foundation as members. NAGA enables action across the region that individual Councils acting alone would not be able to achieve. NAGA has also been successful at securing external funding for sustainable streetlighting programs.

 

In 2006, NAGA secured funding of about $140,000 from Sustainability Victoria’s Sustainability Fund and Local Sustainability Accord to undertake a three year Sustainable Public Lighting Action Program (SPLAP). The Sustainability Fund supports projects that help Victorians to take action on sustainability. In 2007, NAGA – with Banyule as the lead Council – secured a further $50,000 from the same source to undertake Stage 2 of the SPLAP. The SPLAP has facilitated much of the investigation and planning for the replacement of the MV streetlights as described above.

 

SPLAP Stage 2 includes the development of a Strategic State-Wide Business Case for replacement of MVs. Across the NAGA region, the replacement program has the potential to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by about 27,000 tonnes. Multiply this across Victoria and the emissions reduction potential is bound to be quite significant – the Business Case will quantify that reduction potential. The SPLAP program puts NAGA and Banyule at the forefront of sustainable streetlight initiatives in Australia.

Further Information

GreenPower  http://www.greenpower.gov.au/ 

Northern Alliance for Greenhouse Action (NAGA) http://www.naga.org.au 

Sustainable Public Lighting Toolbox (International Council for Local Environment Initiatives) http://www.iclei.org/index.php?id=2474

Sustainability Fund
http://www.sustainability.vic.gov.au/www/html/1361-sustainability-fund.asp?intSiteID=4

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