New energy efficient street lights for Edinburgh

Image source, Google

Image caption, All the street lights in Edinburgh will be replaced

New energy efficient street lights are to be rolled out across Edinburgh, saving 拢54m over 20 years.

The move follows a successful 2012 pilot project and a follow-up scheme in 2014 to replace about 7,000 out-of-date lamps in the capital with LED lights.

The "white light" technology lamps give off a clearer light and can last for more than 20 years.

The life span of existing lights is just two to four years.

The crisper light and new technology enhance community safety by making CCTV images clearer and by allowing light levels to be varied.

The council has about 65,000 street lights, costing about 拢3m in energy alone every year.

About 拢24.5m is being spent on upgrading all the city's street lights.

Lesley Macinnes, City of Edinburgh Council's transport convener, said: "Residents in the pilot areas for the new lights overwhelmingly said that they preferred the crisper, brighter light to the orangey glow of the old, inefficient street lights.

"As well as saving the city millions of pounds, replacing the old lights will help cut our CO2 emissions in Edinburgh and comply with Scottish government energy efficiency legislation."