Kent Installs 100,000th LED street light
(UK) – As part of an intelligent, energy saving public lighting project in Kent, a celebratory event took place to mark the illumination of the 100,000th LED street light.
Kent County Councillor Mike Whiting led the proceedings at Sessions House, Maidstone, marking a key milestone in the £40 million project, delivered by the Transport and Local Government team at Bouygues Energies & Services (BYES). The complete project featured 120,000 centrally controlled, energy-efficient LED luminaires that guaranteed a reduction in energy consumption.
Kent County Council commissioned BYES for the project in 2016, following numerous buildings and facilities management contracts, and to date, the project exceeded its energy saving target.
Robert Hall, Kent Project Director at BYES, explained: “Kent County Council rolled out an ambitious programme of LED lighting across its residential areas, major roads and town centre. We were commissioned to plan, design and install 120,000 LED units over 38 months. The units are centrally controlled via a CMS system, which allows the council to identify and troubleshoot outages and repairs. This project is the first step towards the smart city of the future.
“We have also introduced smart logistics for sites, enabling materials and equipment to be dispatched to and collected from on-the-ground teams. This approach eliminates any need for them to leave the sites, has improved efficiency and is enabling us to deliver the project seven months ahead of schedule.”
KCC cabinet member for transport Mike Whiting added: “We were very excited to mark this significant milestone in such a crucial project for the county. As we neared completion, we realised several benefits including cost savings for the taxpayer, cutting-edge technology and sustainability for the environment and future generations. We were also able to quickly rectify outages, to ensure that the correct amount of light is used and roads are not over lit, and eliminate the need for switch-offs.”
The event took place in the morning of 21st June and included official addresses and celebrations to mark the project.
