GEORGE NEWS - George Municipality "is going light" in more ways than one. The Electrotechnical Directorate aims to reduce electricity consumption of streetlights by up to 50% with the replacement of ageing fittings with modern light emitting diode (LED) type streetlights, says Steyn van der Merwe, the directorate's deputy director of planning and design.
"The estimated operating savings per annum equates to nearly half a million rand for streetlights alone."
In addition, the LEDs have a predicated operating lifespan of up to 100 000 hours, which is on average three times as much as conventional streetlights, thereby also significantly reducing maintenance costs."
The project was initiated by the Electrotechnical Department that, with the assistance of Clinkscales Maughan-Brown Consulting Engineers, applied to the Department of Energy (DOE) for funding. A grant of R7 million was received for the 2017/18 financial year and a further R7 million for the 2018/19 financial year.
The grant application process required a comprehensive baseline study and business plan to identify viable projects, taking into account the initial procurement and implementation costs of equipment and services, and the potential savings in terms of the reduced operating costs to be realised on completion of each project.
"The DOE undertakes strict verification to ensure that the required goals are achieved and the project funding includes an energy awareness component, the training and development of junior staff in the field of electrical engineering, and the developing the capacity of the municipal directorate," says Van der Merwe.
This initiative forms part of George Municipality's goal of becoming the 'greenest' municipality in the country. The new LED streetlight fittings provide an intensive white light and are compact in size with a sleek profile.
Approximately 75 LED streetlights have already been installed in Nelson Mandela Boulevard to date and a further 760 streetlights and 270 high-mast lights will be installed over a two year period. Izazi Technologies have been appointed as the contractors for installation and will be assisted by sub-contractors Coalition Trading 974.
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