All of the 79,000 street lights in Devon are to be replaced with LEDs, a move that will see the council cut their carbon emissions by 75%, as part of plans for the council to become carbon-neutral by 2030.
The county-wide conversion will take place over two years and will be the energy-efficient equivalent of taking 8,000 cars of the roads, reducing carbon emissions by more than 15,000 tonnes each year, according to the council.
The contract for the work has been awarded to SSE Contracting (SSEC) on a ten-year deal. Nearly 34,000 street lights have already been converted to low-energy LED technology since 2015, with 5,400 lighting columns also replaced.
Councillor Stuart Hughes, cabinet member for highway management, said: “The street lighting contract is extremely important as we continue to reduce our carbon emissions. The conversion to LEDs alone will reduce carbon emissions by more than 15,000 tonnes each year, the equivalent of taking 8,000 cars off the road.”
Derek Bell, SSEC Head of Operations Regional Lighting, said: “We recognise the added pressure that local authorities are under and we’re keen to support economic recovery wherever possible while also delivering significant energy savings.”
