Leading the way with LED

The final step towards a street light upgrade throughout Hurunui District kicked off on Monday in Hanmer Springs.

Hurunui District Council has just about finished replacing its High Pressure Sodium (HPS) light bulbs with Light Emitting Diodes (LED) light bulbs.

Waka Kotahi NZTA has provided 85% of the funding as part of a nationwide initiative to reduce energy consumption.

HDC’s Team Leader for Roading, Kait Murray said, the aged Street Lighting Network of HPS bulbs meant it made sense to upgrade, especially with the large financial input from Waka Kotahi NZTA.

“Over the three years of analysed data, there is a 40% reduction in electricity which translates into a 30% cost in saving,” she said.

Upgrading the approximate 900 HPS lights with XSP Single Module Series 4000k (Kelvin) LED lights across HDC’s network means an annual local cost saving of around $32,000 a year in upkeep.

The 4000K lights have been selected to ensure the beams from the lights spaced along the road connect as much as possible, ensuring minimal dark patches on the roads and footpaths.

The work is being carried out by Power Jointing Limited (PJL).

Hanmer Springs marks the final major settlement where this upgrade is taking place, with just a few lights dotted throughout Hurunui district to also swap from HPS to LED.

The entire project will be completed by July 1, 2021.