LED Lamps Leading Way For High-Tech Street Lighting

Britain’s roads are changing, with LED lighting helping to change the face of street lamps as we know them.

A report on BBC News found that these energy-efficient bulbs are not only helping to save councils considerable amounts of money, but they also assist in fighting crime and promote safe cycling at night.

European director of smart cities and lighting at Silver Spring Brian McGuigan believes LED lamps can significantly cut energy bills, with Copenhagen on its way to achieving a 50 per cent decrease in the amount of money spent on its energy.

As well as using less electricity, many bulbs are fitted with controls allowing them to be remotely turned off when they are not needed.

The use of ‘smart lighting’ has also helped cyclists, as some lamps may be fitted with sensors that turn on or brighten the power of the bulbs when a cyclist is approaching. This gives them a greater amount of light so they can see more clearly when they are travelling at night.

What’s more, smart lights can be fitted with CCTV cameras that can help police in the event of a criminal activity. If they capture an incident on the footage, this could be used as a way to help find the perpetrator.

These are just a few of the reasons why more and more towns and cities are switching to LED lights. The latest area to see an investment into new street lighting is Bury in Lancashire where 11,000 of its road lamps will be replaced.

According to the Bury Times, the council hopes this will cut its energy bill by 50 per cent and a produce a saving of £200,000 over the next few years.