GE Lighting supports lighting revolution in Sydney

Bicentennial Park in Glebe has become the first park in Sydney to be installed with new GE LED lights. This is part of the rollout of a $7 million project secured by GE Lighting and its Australian partner UGL earlier this year to replace 6450 street and park lights in the City of Sydney over the next three years. The LED lights, produced by GE Lighting and installed by UGL, emit a light which is whiter and brighter than traditional street and park lights.

Comparison photos of Bicentennial Park with old and new lights.

This revolution in lighting technology is sweeping across central Sydney to provide brighter park and street lighting while slashing electricity costs and greenhouse gas emissions. The LED lights are made up of a series of points of light or diodes, which better direct the light, and do not have a filament like traditional lights. This means they do not get hot, use far less energy and last up to three times longer, saving on maintenance costs.

Over 1400 LED lights have been installed to date in: Bridge Street, Elizabeth Street, Martin Place, St James Road, College Street, Bathurst Street, George Street, Darlinghurst Road, Taylor Square, William Street, Castlereagh Street, Philip Street, Park Street, Market Street in the CBD; Gadigal Ave in Zetland; and Quarry Masters Drive and Saunders Streets in Pyrmont.

“Replacing 6450 conventional lights will save nearly $800,000 a year in electricity bills and maintenance costs,” said City of Sydney Director of City Operations Garry Harding. “Sydney will be the first city in Australia to install the new LED street and park lights across its entire city centre, and joins other major cities such as Berlin, Barcelona, Los Angeles and San Francisco.”

The rollout of new street lighting follows a successful 18-month trial at Alexandria Park, Kings Cross, Martin Place and Circular Quay. In a public survey conducted by the City of Sydney after the trial, more than 90% of people reported finding the new lighting appealing, and three-quarters said it actually improved visibility. 

The Managing Director of GE Lighting Australia and New Zealand, Nathan Dunn, added: “Advanced LED technology transforms lighting as we know it - creating light that is brighter, lasts longer and is significantly more energy efficient. LED technology saves up to 75% of energy compared to incandescent light sources, while lasting up to 25 times longer. It is great to see the City of Sydney lead this lighting revolution in Australia.”

The City of Sydney was the first carbon neutral Australian government and has set itself one of the most ambitious greenhouse gas reduction targets: 70% by 2030. Currently, the City of Sydney is one of the largest users of street lighting in NSW with 22,000 lights. Public lighting accounts for a third of the city’s annual electricity use and 30% of its greenhouse gas emissions.

In addition to estimated savings of nearly $800,000 a year in electricity bills and maintenance costs, the new LED lights will cut gas emissions by 40%, or 2581 tonnes per year, which is equivalent to taking 940 cars off the road.

The project video can be viewed below.