3 December 2015
By Bryan T. Smyth
bryan@TheCork.ie
Cork County Council is changing the Lights on its islands
Cork County Council has instructed its Public Lighting Maintenance Contractor, Airtricity, to upgrade the public lighting on the seven inhabited islands within the greater Cork area to Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs), which are the most up to date technology in Public Lighting.
Cape Clear Island, Heir Island, Long Island, Sherkin Island, Dursey Island, Whiddy Island and Bere Island will all undergo this upgrade.
LEDs are extremely energy efficient and consume up to 50% less power than incandescent bulbs leading to a dramatic decrease in power costs. Also, money and energy is saved in maintenance and replacement costs due to the long LED lifespan.
On average, LED bulbs last 10 times as long as compact fluorescent bulbs, and 133 times longer than typical incandescent bulbs. Although there is a higher initial cost, this is recouped over time with lower electricity costs. From a visual perspective, the change is slight, with the LED’s being whiter in colour than the familiar and traditional orange hue. Resident reaction thus far has been positive. The upgrade to LED lighting will offer long term benefits by providing suitable lighting, improved reliability and reducing maintenance costs. It will also reduce the carbon footprint of the islands through improved energy efficiency.
Works are well underway with Bere Island already completed. The remaining islands are due for completion shortly, subject to weather conditions and accessibility. Cork County Council is delighted to have been able to undertake such positive steps in both energy efficiency and resultant reliability for the residents of the islands. Cork County Council is switching to LED’s for all new public lighting schemes from 2016 with the islands converted to LED’s before the end of 2015.
