Published: 28 Dec 2016

Temuka is having an unseasonably white Christmas after the installation of 375 new LED street lights by Timaru District Council.

The LED street lights, which offer a clearer, brighter light than the old, yellow high pressure sodium lamps, have been switched on throughout the town. The new lights also have a significantly longer life, require less maintenance and have lower power usage, meaning serious cost savings.

Andrew Dixon, Land Transport manager for Timaru District Council says that people’s reaction to the lights have been very positive so far.

“As well as offering major cost savings through maintenance and energy costs, the new, brighter lights enable people to see more clearly and people report that it makes them feel safer in the streets at night compared to the yellow ‘sodium glow’ of older lights.

“LED lighting is becoming the standard for street lighting in cities throughout the world, and Temuka is the first community in the Timaru district to benefit from the change.

The previous high pressure sodium lights had a total power consumption of 83w each, which meant a total consumption for Temuka of 31.13 kW per hour.

The new LED lanterns have a total power consumption of 27w with no ballast which means a total power consumption of 10.13kW per hour for the town, a 67% decrease in power consumption.

“The main benefit however is the decrease in maintenance callouts. A sodium lamp has an expected life of only four years, however this can be shorter if the control gear is faulty. LED lanterns can last somewhere around 25 years before needing replacement.

“So far it has been going well, so far we have had no streetlight maintenance callouts in the streets where LEDs have been installed.”

The new LED lights cover all streets in Temuka apart from those in State Highway 1 and other major roads. The new lighting will be rolled out progressively throughout the district in coming years.

Last updated: 24 Feb 2021