Town gets smart about street lights

Northpower trainee lineman Derryn Cooper installs smart street lights at Baylys Beach. Photo / Supplied

The small west coast settlement of Baylys Beach could be the first place in Australasia to have smart street lighting, in a move that will slash electricity costs.

Kaipara District Council, in conjunction with Northpower and lighting design and manufacturing company KTL Technologies, is refitting existing street lights with newly developed LED technology, in a pilot project.

The new lighting will mean considerable savings for ratepayers and the council - about 70 per cent in the street lighting power bill and 400 per cent in maintenance costs.

KDC roading manager Henri van Zyl said: "[The] council has around 1400 streetlights. We pay around $200,000 in power and around $90,000 in maintenance.

"The savings we can make using this technology will have a significant impact on our budgets."

The innovative technology could be installed with only minor site work or disruption for the residents, Mr van Zyl said. Other benefits the residents of Baylys will enjoy include reduced light "spill" as the light is designed to fall where it is needed.

"It also eliminates upward light pollution, meaning the clear night sky over Baylys will remain crystal clear, weather permitting, of course," he said.