Kirklees Council sees the light with LeafNut street lighting system

May 18 2009 by Henryk Zientek, Huddersfield Daily Examiner

HUDDERSFIELD is switching on to a new type of street light.

Energy-efficient street lights have been installed in Thornton Lodge helping Kirklees Council to put in 30% extra lighting while increasing its energy use by only 5%.

The street lights, developed by Leeds-based Harvard Engineering, use ground-breaking technology to reduce carbon emissions and potentially save £40 on energy costs each year – the company’s website puts the figure at £25.

The firm’s LeafNut system uses modern electronics in the lamp head linked to web-based wireless technology to provide remote control to individual lights or groups of lights.

The system manages the light output, allowing the lights to be dimmed at any specific location at different times of the night.

This can save electricity, cuts costs, reduce carbon consumption and light pollution.

Using the system, a road junction or area of all-night activity can remain fully-lit, while lighting levels may be reduced for nearby housing, industrial parks or side streets.

At a press of a button, the lights can be brought back to full intensity – providing a safety aspect which can be maintained in conjunction with existing CCTV monitoring.

Andrew Bullen, group engineer for street lighting at Kirklees Council, said: “With the introduction of carbon reduction targets and volatility pricing in the energy markets, it has become more important than ever to reduce the amount of electricity used by street lighting.

“Some local authorities have made the decision to switch off street lights. In Kirklees, we have looked to technology to help us achieve savings.

“The LeafNut system allows us to do this by reducing light levels at particular times, rather than switching lights off.”