This summer, BC Hydro may begin installing thousands of energy-efficient (LED) street lights across the province. The company currently owns and maintains approximately 95,000 street lights across the province, accounting for approximately 30% of all street lights in British Columbia.
Most of the BC Hydro's utility poles are high-pressure sodium (HPS) lamps. LED lights last longer, brighter, and present better colors than HPS lights. The BC Town Alliance (UBCM) said the transition to energy-efficient lamps could save small communities that rely on public lighting by 50 to 70 percent.
In recent years, several cities in the Greater Vancouver Area have begun to switch to energy-saving lamps. After Burnaby converted to LED energy-saving lamps last spring, it is said that the consumption of street lamps has decreased by about 60%. At the same time, Richmond and Surrey have also replaced high-efficiency energy-saving lamps. Vancouver also plans to convert all street lights to LEDs.
Yewen City said that in December last year, 17 locations in the city had been equipped with energy-saving lamps, and the excellent illumination of energy-saving lamps had reduced collision accidents at these locations by 40%.
