All that glitters
It would seem Newcastle Municipality is dedicated to keeping Newcastle’s lights on by introducing a new LED street light system into the town.
The light goes off and you find yourself in darkness.
South Africans, nationally, have once again been struck by the blight of loadshedding. Newcastillians, however, have yet to feel the effects,
and it does not seem residents will.
It is not uncommon to find street lights not working in town; between wear and tear and vandalism, finding streets in darkness is the norm in many areas.
It would seem Newcastle Municipality is dedicated to keeping Newcastle’s lights on by introducing a new LED street light system into the town.
According to Electrical Services Strategic Executive Director, Lindile Zincume, the new lights are stronger and longer-lasting, and will reduce electricity consumption.
“This programme is applicable where street lighting already exists to ensure the municipality is able to reduce its electricity consumption,” he explained. In areas without street lighting infrastructure, it may be some time before they will see the fruits of this project.
For residents worried this development may dip too far into the coffers of the municipality, funding for the project was sourced via the Department of Energy for the Energy Efficiency and Demand Management Programme. The department approved the municipality’s business plan for the project, and granted funding for the project.
“The intent is to change all our approximately 10 000 street light fittings with the LED lights,” said Mr Zincume. In the current fi nancial year
600 units will be changed, which is an estimated annual saving of R144 000. It may seem to be a tiny amount, but in the grand scheme of planning, each light is guaranteed for five years, meaning the municipality would be given the opportunity to spend more of its budget on the
development of other aspects of Newcastle’s infrastructure.
Once all of Newcastle’s street lights change, it would allow the municipality to save R2.4-million annually. This is money that can be spent elsewhere, and will free employees of the department to better assess the many areas of Newcastle’s electrical infrastructure and handle emergency situations faster.
The community has raised concerns over the current electrical infrastructure of Newcastle, and many have seen this development as a welcome step in the right direction from the municipality.
