LED streetlights not a bright idea!

• Residents complain of patchy lighting in a project that aims to save money
• Works now on to fix energy-efficient lights in 12 Wards of MCC

Mysore/Mysuru: The new LED street lighting project that is being implemented in city may save money but is not bright and has made the roads dim. There is a lack of visibility due to patchy lighting — the area under the lamps are very well lit but other areas between lamps and on the sides are in almost complete darkness.

Many residents who have been used to seeing halogen, Compact Fluorescent Lamps (CFL) and incandescent bulbs on the roads are finding the LED lights dim. However, the company that is implementing the project has clarified that the bulbs are being laid as per standards fixed by the State Government (Urban Development Department).

All the 68,178 CFL and halogen bulbs are being replaced within the limits of Mysuru City Corporation (MCC), but wherever the LED lights are installed, motorists and residents have complained that the lights are not bright enough.

“Afterall, LED streetlights are not a bright idea as the areas between the lights are dark and this might lead to accidents and will hamper the movement of pedestrians as they walk along the side of the roads that are still dark,” said a resident.

“White light (LED) does not give as much illumination as yellow light. We have observed that LED lights do not diffuse into its surroundings. For streetlights, I think halogens and CFLs are better as they can provide the required amount of illumination,” another resident said. The move to install LED lights is beneficial if the cost efficiency factor is taken into consideration as LEDs consume far less energy when compared to halogens, CFLs and incandescent bulbs. “The white light generated by LEDs is only optimal for indoor purposes such as reading and working on a computer,” he added.

Officials from e-Smart Energy Saving Private Limited that is implementing the project in Mysuru, however, said that it had requested the State Government for permission to install streetlight bulbs that have a capacity of 45 watts. But this proposal got rejected and the company was told to follow the National Lighting Code.

People accustomed to bright lights

“People are used to looking at CFLs and halogens that emit bright yellow lights and the LEDs will appear dim to their eyes. But LEDs are the most widely accepted form of street lighting project in many cities and  this system is being widely implemented all over,” said an MCC Electrical Engineer.

In Mysuru, the project is being implemented under Public-Private-Partnership (PPP) model with an estimated cost of Rs. 109.01 crore. At present, the project is being implemented in 12 MCC Wards.

With an intention to save on energy costs, the Government, during its 2015-16 Budget, had proposed to replace conventional bulbs including tube lights, high-pressure sodium, mercury vapour and metal halide lights (halogen lamps) with LED bulbs in City Corporations outside Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) and had selected Mysuru for the pilot project.

Contract terms

As per the MCC contract, the e-Smart Energy Saving Private Limited has to install the lights and maintain the same for eight years, saving 58.77 percent electricity. “Every year, the MCC pays over Rs. 25 crore as electricity bills and once all the lights are replaced with LED bulbs, the MCC will save about Rs. 13 to Rs. 14 crore,” the MCC Electrical Engineer added.

In case the bulbs are damaged, the company has to replace them within 24 hours. The project is being implemented with a Centralised Control and Monitoring System (CCMS) with smart metres and Internet of Things (IOT) controllers.

This enables integration of all LED lamps and they can be operated remotely through apps. The entire operation (including switching on and off) and maintenance can be controlled through apps and there are only fewer chances of bulbs getting spoilt due to excessive heat unlike halogen and CFL bulbs.