COMHAIRLE CONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

MEETING OF SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

Monday, April 08, 2013

QUESTION NO. 11

QUESTION: Councillor W. Lavelle

To ask the Manager to update on the Council's efforts to extend the use of LED lighting across the County?

REPLY:

LED lighting can perform in compliance with design standards for Public Lighting and can be considered as an option. For the use of LED or any other lighting solution the full design life of the lighting installation is evaluated. Over the life cycle of the lamp savings are made in the maintenance of costs and energy however the initial cost is substantially more. In areas where maintenance access is limited such as walkways, Council schemes have utilised LED lighting. In any case new lighting schemes currently are limited in number. Experience in the practical use of LED lighting is being gathered and shared amongst sister local authorities.

More commonly roads have their luminaires replaced and continue to utilise existing poles. A substantial number of streets in South Dublin County Council are lit from luminaires mounted on ESB Network poles and their location cannot be modified. Thereby a technical impasse exists for the ability for a LED luminaire to provide the required light and energy saving without the necessity for an overhaul of the configuration of ‘Public Lighting Columns’.  Accelerated luminaire replacement is not possible within the existing public lighting maintenance budget.

As the technology is developing and new products are emerging on the market it is expected that prices will reduce such that initial costs will become comparable with existing lamps. LED lighting complements other ongoing  initiatives such as ‘part night dimming’ and ‘scheme design modelling’ in helping the council attain energy saving targets.