TEAM HERALD
VASCO: LED lights will phase out the existing streetlights across Goa before the year is up, according to Power Minister Milind Naik. The move will render the current lighting woes almost non-existent, and will also reduce the power department’s spending on maintenance and manpower.
Presently, Goa has around 1.70 lakh streetlights – sodium, CFL and tubes. Once the switch to LEDs is made, the State will save at least 15 megawatts, or 60 per cent of the electricity consumed by the existing setup. The electricity department will save at least 75 per cent of the total electricity consumed.
“Streetlights are contributing to energy consumption during peak hours. In order to reduce the load at those hours and by complying with the Demand Side Management (DSM), the power department is keen to take this project, which will be another achievement of the BJP government.” said Naik.
He added, “The maintenance of new LED streetlights will be done by the contractor and not by the department. This contract will be for a period of seven years after the installation.”
The LEDs will be monitored and controlled through a specially designed central monitoring point which will be located at Panjim and other important cities. Naik explained, “Every point will have a SIM card number which will be connected to the central monitoring unit. Operations of these LEDs can then be controlled through SMS, which is unique and will change the look of streets in State.”
According to electricity department officials, the detailed project report is ready, and is estimated to cost around Rs 102 crore. The work will commence within a month.
In September 2014, the Union Ministry of Urban Development ordered all State governments to switch to LED lights. After the Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) released a survey on the haphazard installation of streetlights in India, the Union Power Ministry, too, issued a direction in favour of LEDs.
The BEE’s survey concluded that more than 80 per cent of streetlights in India were installed without considering the pole distance, type and height of illuminant, etc. It stated that not only the lighting, but every aspect of the streetlights had to be overhauled.
