Street Lighting Operational Policy
Dimming
In 2012 Cornwall Council completed an invest to save project that enabled lamp output to be dimmed according to the time of day. Dimming was applied to all highway lighting at installation. Several different regimes are used according to the situation and the lamp wattage. The initial switching regimes we used in 2012 saved £100,000 per year in energy costs.
The regimes have changed over the years with more dimming being applied. The two most common dimming regimes in more recent years are 75% output all night, and 75% at dusk-50% at 22:00-75% at 06:30.
Over the last 12 years dimming is estimated to have saved over £2m. Based on today’s energy rate the dimming cost saving is £190,000 per year.
Trimming
Cornwall Council’s previous operation for highway lighting was to switch on at 70 lux and off at 35 lux (70/35). This was widely used as a standard operating profile nationwide for discharge lamps. It allowed time for the lamps to come to full brightness.
We have since moved to switching on at 35 lux and off at 18 lux (35/18). This follows the widespread installation of LED, and consultation with other local authorities. This means the streetlights still operate dusk to dawn but over a shorter duration at either end of the illuminated period.
Cornwall Council implemented this in October 2022, saving £150,000 per year in energy costs.
Switch-off
To help reduce light pollution some of our lights are turned off part of the night, usually between midnight and 5am. This will help meet the Council's ambition to become Carbon Neutral by 2030. It will also reduce light pollution. For the benefits of reduced light pollution, please see Light Pollution - Buglife.
We are rolling this out in batches of approximately 1000 lights at a time and currently have 10,000 switched off. Based on the current approved policy there are 36,000 lights (of 56,000) that will be switched off by the end of the project.
Council tax will not be reduced as part of this initiative. The streetlighting energy cost per night in 2021 was £5,274 and in 2023 had increased to £9,445 per night. Energy prices remain at the increase rate. The Council must continue to implement changes to make savings both for the environment to meet our carbon commitments and manage budgets. Once the switch-off project is complete the annual saving, based on current energy rates, will be £680,000 per year. This equates to a saving of £1,863 per night.
Streetlights that are turned off part of the night are shown as pink dots on the interactive map below.
Street Lighting Operational Policy (January 2023)
LED Street Lighting Upgrade Project
In July 2022, Cornwall Council will begin a countywide street light upgrade project. The project will run over the next three years. It will see the majority of our 56,000 streetlights replaced with new LED fittings. The project will be completed by Enerveo, our term maintenance contractor.
This project is essential due to the following reasons;
- The commitment by Cornwall Council to be Carbon Neutral Cornwall by 2030
- A worldwide component shortage for maintaining our current stock. As well as much of the stock reaching end of life
- Increasing surge in energy costs
We are investing £15.5 million over a three-year period to convert all the streetlights to LED. We currently spend £1.6 million a year on energy use for streetlights. By converting to LED, we will use around 65% less energy. This will save £0.6 million a year (as of prices at October 2020). If energy prices continue to rise as predicted, the saving will be even greater.
There will not be a reduction in Council Tax as a result of this replacement programme. Each year there are increasing pressures on the Council's funding. Converting the lights to LED is one of many measures we are taking to contribute to making savings.
In the past, shields have been installed where light glare has been an issue for residents. We believe the new lanterns will reduce the need for shields. This is due to the light source being set into the body of the lantern rather than protruding. We have also chosen a lantern that has a higher number of LEDs but a low running current. This is more comfortable to the human eye as it creates a less intense point of light. If light glare is an issue one month after installation, please contact using the link below;