Green light for Net Zero Strategy
Published on 09 November 2021
Kiama Council has given the green light to switch all remaining local street lights to LED, a key element of our Net Zero Strategy.
Council has endorsed a proposal by Endeavour Energy to upgrade the remaining 951 non-LED street lights in the municipality.
Previously Council has worked with Endeavour to upgrade 676 lights in our area through the NSW Government ‘Accelerated Upgrade’ program.
Switching street lights to LED is a key part of our new Net Zero Strategy (Corporate Emissions Reduction Plan), which has set Council the target of being carbon neutral by 2031.
The strategy also aims to have more than half Council’s electricity coming from renewable sources by 2025.
The lighting upgrade is another energy efficiency win for Council, and our community, in recent years. Others include:
- Photovoltaic systems at our Leisure Centre, Library and Blue Haven Bonaira
- LED lighting upgrades at Council’s Administration Centre
- Water management and data logging programs
- Waste education programs
- Power optimisation and power factor correction of our buildings
- Energy audit of Kiama Leisure Centre.
Council avoided emitting approximately 286.93 tonnes of carbon emissions in 2020/21 and generated 244.68 megawatts of solar power.
Completing our LED street lighting upgrade will reduce our emissions by a further 310 tonnes of carbon emissions a year (382,225 kWh).
Council will use the NSW Energy Saver Scheme to reduce the upfront cost of the upgrade.
Reduced energy costs in the future will provide an estimated financial benefit of $50,000 per annum. The savings will be reinvested on further work to reduce our carbon footprint.