A bright idea

A multi million euro project which will see thousands of public lights upgraded to LED in Cork has been officially announced.

Spearheaded by Cork County Council, the Public Lighting Energy Efficiency Project for the South West Region (PLEEP-SW) will upgrade 77,162 public lights in Cork, Kerry, Clare, Limerick, and Waterford.

The €53 million project is part of the National Public Lighting Energy Efficiency Project which, once complete, is set to reduce national CO2 emissions by 22,000 tonnes each year, while saving the local authorities €12m in energy and maintenance costs annually.

The south west region will be the first to commence, followed by the eastern and north west regions. Once the project has commenced in a region, retrofitting will roll out on a county by county basis.

Welcoming the project was Mayor of the County of Cork Cllr Gillian Coughlan: “Once complete, the south west regional project is predicted to reduce CO2 emissions by 5,000 tonnes each year. The project will also survey and collect data on the condition of the public lighting infrastructure to enable local authorities to plan and invest in the upgrading of public lighting for our communities into the future.”

Chief Executive of Cork County Council, Tim Lucey added: “Local authorities are committed to leading on climate action, reducing carbon emissions in our operations and meeting our energy efficiency targets. This project takes a big step in that direction as public lighting currently accounts for half of all the energy used by local authorities.

“Retrofitting public lighting to LED is not only good for the planet, but it will also save us up to 55 per cent on our energy and maintenance costs, while improving light quality. Advancements in LED technology allow for an improved visual environment, enhanced public safety and reduced light pollution,” he concluded.