Andrew Carey in Brussels
andrew@limerickpost.ie
LIMERICK could follow the likes of Amsterdam and Copenhagen by installing LED sensor street lighting and reduce the local authority energy bill by up to 50 per cent.
The message, issued during the 2015 Open Days in Brussels was given at a series of workshops at the Committee of the Regions buildings in the EU quarter of the Belgian capital.
As part of the week-long event where journalists attend meetings with EU policy makers, Open Days allows EU strategies to be brought back to the regions and cities where its implementation will have most effect.
Studies have shown that up to three-quarters of the European population live in cities and urban regions and the UN expects this to rise to 80 per cent by 2050.
However, local governments, including Limerick’s local authority, have been directed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and become more efficient in their use of resources, in line with the Kyoto Protocol.
This December, the UN Climate Change Summit will be held in Paris with the aim to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and limit the global temperature increase to 2degC above pre-industrial levels.
A technical study group found that street lighting is one of the biggest expenses a city has in relation to its energy bills.
The smart street lighting is activated by movement detected on sensors. One the movement stops, the lighting dims and in some instances turns off until movement is picked up again by the sensors.
The project, which could be partially financed through funding from Brussels, is linked to the EU Smart Cities and Communities Innovation partnership.
