Road Lighting 2015 gets underway in Auckland

Attendees to Road Lighting 2015 were welcomed today by Lawrence Yule, the president of Local Government New Zealand and Mayor of Hastings, who said he was keen for councils to “encourage the transformational change” to LED road lighting.

The road lighting conference is designed to assist road controlling authorities plan a transition to LED road lighting through long-term infrastructure strategies. It is being attended by an international audience of more than 220, including councillors and council staff from around the country, contractors, researchers, government officials and lighting professionals from a dozen countries.

Yule spoke highly of LED technology, stating, “LED road lighting could save millions of dollars every year for councils across the country by reducing energy and maintenance costs. It also provides opportunities for enhanced control systems and adaptive technologies that could help usher in the era of smart cities.”

The chief executive of the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority (EECA), Mike Underhill, noted, “If New Zealand’s road lights were switched from high-pressure sodium (HPS) lighting to LED road lighting, it would save the country about 100 GWh of electricity a year - enough to power more than 11,000 homes. This is on top of the significant maintenance and safety benefits.”

Underhill said the EECA has been working with Local Government New Zealand and the NZ Transport Agency to make sure barriers to the uptake of LED road lighting have been identified and addressed. Conference organiser Godfrey Bridger added that since the inaugural conference in 2014, the regulatory environment had changed to encourage New Zealand councils and road controlling authorities to make the switch to LED road lighting.

The conference continues tomorrow at the Langham Hotel, Auckland, from 8.30 am to 5.30 pm. It will be opened by Minister of Transport and Minister of Energy & Resources Simon Bridges.