The growing costs of electricity consumption prompted local governments to seek savings. One way to cut the bills is to upgrade street lighting. The Bohomolca and Krzesławicka streets planned for redevelopment prove that replacing sodium fixtures with LEDs cuts electricity consumption by as much as half.

Energy sales offers received by local governments and their subordinate units sparked discussions about potential ways of saving it. Greater burden on the budget means less funds for investments the residents are expecting so much. They would find it difficult to accept shorter opening hours of swimming pools or libraries or the lack of Christmas decorations on the streets, so such cuts are considered as a last resort. However, there is something that can bring considerable relief for the budget and the Planet – replacing street lighting with energy-saving ones. It is proved by the calculations for KSTIV project.

How to make savings on street lighting?

Sodium lamps are still common across many cities. These outdated appliances use most of their energy to emit heat instead of lighting up the streets and cannot boast a satisfactory service life. There is no doubt that they must be replaced with more modern fittings and this is slowly happening. There is still much left to do.

Usually, the lighting is replaced along when the remaining street infrastructure is replaced. This will be the case for the Tramway to Mistrzejowice. – Some sections of the planned route still feature sodium lamps, for example at Krzesławicka or Bohomolca Streets. 70W, 100W and 150W fixtures will be replaced here with LEDs with a power of 55W, 60.5W, 70W, respectively. It will reduce energy consumption while the new lighting will be operational for much longer – says Maciej Wołtosz, Electrical Design Coordinator with Gülermak.

Power consumption cut by half

The calculations reveal that the replacement of several dozen sodium fittings at Krzesławicka and Bohomolca Streets will reduce energy consumption by 49.6%. The LEDs used will have a service life of at least twice as long as those to be disassembled.

– In Kraków, we systematically upgrade street lighting, because the savings from such investments are clearly reflected in electricity bills. But that’s not all. This way we are relieving not only the city budget, but also the environment. Reduced energy consumption means less harmful CO2 emissions – says Marcin Hanczakowski, Director of Kraków Municipal Road Authority (ZDMK).