The business case for action

• Why should my council act on public lighting?
• Public lighting in Australia: key statistics
• Opportunities
• Action checklist

1. To reduce financial losses. Data gathered from Cities for Climate Protection (CCP) councils shows that public lighting costs $20,000 - $2.5 million per council per year. Implementing energy efficiency measures could therefore generate significant financial savings for council.
2. To reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Public lighting accounts for 15-70% of CCP councils' corporate emissions per year. For this reason, most councils will find it difficult to achieve their greenhouse reduction goals without reducing emissions from the public lighting sector.
3. To increase the effectiveness of council’s management processes. Public lighting is a service delivered by council to the community. Strategic contract management, infrastructure planning and service delivery leads to energy efficient public lighting, providing a cost-effective way to ensure appropriate lighting levels and light quality.

Sources: Public Lighting in Australia - Energy Efficiency Challenges and Opportunities (2005) unless otherwise specified - see below.

1. ICLEI-A/NZ 2004, Victorian Sustainable Public Lighting Action Planning Guidelines.
2. Unpublished greenhouse inventory data from CCP councils based on data collected from Milestone 1 (base year) and Milestone 5 (reinventory year). Figures are calculated as an average of all CCP councils in Australia, and excludes emissions generated from water and sewage, as this is only significant in Queensland where municipal wastewater is a responsibility of local government.
3. Unpublished 2006–07 data from ICLEI-A/NZ's CCP Measures database, used to inform the CCP Australia Measures Evaluation Report.
4. ICLEI-A/NZ 2005, CCP Australia Measures Evaluation Report.

A common misconception among CCP councils that work with ICLEI Oceania is that, given these barriers, local government is not in a position to influence sustainable public lighting. There are however many opportunities, including:

• Bulk purchasing and increased bargaining power. Collectively, local government is the largest public lighting customer in Australia. In deregulated markets, councils can use their position to negotiate renewable electricity purchasing, energy efficient lighting, improved maintenance and service levels, and access to public lighting data. Working on a regional level with other councils is a particularly effective strategy to negotiate desired outcomes.

• Council support. All CCP councils have politically endorsed greenhouse gas emissions reduction goals and action plans, which often include action on public lighting. These can be used to build momentum for action on sustainable public lighting through the implementation of lighting policies, trials, other council initiatives and council participation in state/territory actions.

• Available and emerging technologies and trials. Includes T5 fluorescents, compact fluorescents, efficient photo-switches, dimming, and a range of other technologies. See the Technologies and Tools and Case Studies sections.

• Reinvestment of financial savings. Council can use the potential financial savings from lower energy and maintenance costs to finance further sustainable public lighting initiatives.

• Increasing body of resources, projects and support. This website and other materials, projects, networks, and funding opportunities are increasing the options for councils to take action.

1. Prepare a cost benefit analysis of changing existing lighting stock to more energy efficient lamps. Compare this with Greenpower, solar lighting and no-action options
2. Report to council on public lighting management, costs incurred and greenhouse gas emissions, and savings from any trials implemented
3. Strengthen budget requests for public lighting work, particularly as savings are identified over time. Ensure that the work is in the SPL action plan/equivalent approved by the CEO/GM or mayor
4. Run workshops for PL staff (cross council) and councillors to promote energy efficient technologies.