In August 2021 Frankston City Council completed a $1.73 million bulk LED street light upgrade across the Frankston municipality by replacing 6,960 street lights on residential roads with energy efficient LEDs.
All T5 fluorescent street lights were converted to 17 watt and 13.7 watt LEDs. The LEDs provide a higher quality of light, are smart technology ready, last longer and are up to 55 per cent more energy efficient than the lights they have replaced.
Council was the first local government authority in the United Energy distribution network to install the highly efficient 13.7 watt LED lights by advocating to fast-track the approvals.
The project is expected to save around $4 million in electricity and maintenance charges over the life of the light, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 8,912 tonnes over the next 20 years. Savings will be redirected into other important Council and community services.
Council is one of few local government authorities to successfully secure a financial rebate through the Victorian Government’s Victorian Energy Upgrades program for undertaking a municipal-wide street light upgrade. Including the $394k rebate, Council’s contribution to the project cost was reduced to $1.3 million and the estimated financial payback to 5.5 years.
During the roll-out of the project Council ran a series of free Greening Our Future information sessions for the community and Council staff to increase awareness about the benefits of energy efficiency, climate change and reducing emissions.
To coincide with this project Council signed up to a 4-year contract sourcing 100% renewable energy through GreenPower® for its remaining street light electricity usage, making this a net zero emissions initiative.
This project is a key action of Council’s Towards Zero Emissions Plan (2019-2023) and is a demonstration of the organisation’s commitment to accelerated action on climate change.
