A new project which will save money and reduce carbon emissions by replacing the borough’s street lights with energy efficient LED lamps has been launched by Enfield Council.
The £6.375m project will generate savings of £382,000 a year in reduced energy and maintenance costs once fully implemented as well as reducing light pollution. The electricity used to power the lights comes from entirely renewable, green suppliers.
The reduction in emissions will make a significant contribution towards the realisation of Enfield Council’s Climate Change Action Plan, which was agreed by the Council on 15 July and which outlines how the borough will become carbon neutral by 2030.
The new lamps will emit white light which is similar to the environmental conditions of daylight and will help both motorists and pedestrians see more clearly at night, potentially helping to reduce accidents, as well as improving feelings of safety and discouraging crime.
The lights will be controlled and monitored using a new central management system which will enable the Council to adapt the amount of light given off and respond quickly to any lamp failures.
Enfield Council’s Deputy Leader and the Chair of the Climate Change Task Force, Cllr Ian Barnes, said:
“We’re using smart technology to make our street lighting more energy efficient and more sensitive to the needs of residents – it’s a Green path to reducing our carbon emissions and saving the Council money at a time when we need to be ever more careful with our limited resources because of reductions in government funding and increasing pressure on services.
“We are committed to delivering flexible, practical and agile services which meet the needs of our residents in the most efficient way possible and our new street lighting arrangements will deliver a wide range of benefits to both the borough and its residents.
"This is a clear demonstration of our commitment to ensuring Enfield Council becomes carbon neutral as rapidly as we possible can. Climate change is an existential crisis which we are addressing and this borough will be at the forefront of efforts to address climate change and protect residents from the impact of it.”