
Nearly all of the 22,000 energy-efficient LED fittings equipped with smart control technology have been installed across the City of Greater Geelong.
The City, in partnership with Powercor, has installed its LED Street Lighting and Smart Control Project.
During the past four and a half years, more than 22,000 outdated and inefficient street lights have been replaced, making it the largest council-led smart lighting rollout in Australia.
The upgrade includes 14,500 residential lights (Category P), 5100 main road lights (Category V) and 2500 decorative lights.
The new lighting system has delivered annual operational savings of approximately $2.2 million, while reducing greenhouse gas emissions by more than 3300 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (tCO2-e) per year.
The new LEDs are up to 82 percent more energy efficient than the previously used mercury vapour street lights and are already in use across several other municipalities in Victoria.
A key feature of the project is the integration of smart controllers and the development of a Central Management System (CMS), enabling remote monitoring and adaptive lighting control.
Environment and Circular Economy portfolio chair Councillor Elise Wilkinson said the environmental benefits are a win for the whole community.
“The scale of this project sets a benchmark for other councils across the country and highlights the City’s commitment to innovation and environmental leadership,” she said.
Powercor’s public lighting asset manager Noel Twyman said customers will benefit from the smart lighting system.
“We now have more than 80 percent of our public lighting network transitioned to LED, which delivers more efficient lighting and reduced maintenance costs for our customers,” he said.