Debated in Parliament on 5 Apr 2021.
Dr Tan Wu Meng asked the Minister for Transport (a) how many and what proportion of street lamps currently use LED lighting; (b) of these, how many have designs which incorporate the use of solar energy capture or storage; and (c) what measures are being taken to increase sustainability and reduce the energy footprint of street lamps while concurrently maintaining adequate illumination for vehicles and pedestrians.
LTA aims to convert all public streetlights to LED lights by end 2022. Compared to the conventional high-pressure sodium lights, LED lights are about 25% more energy efficient and require less maintenance, while providing equivalent illumination for road users. As of end February 2021, about 71,000, or 60%, of public streetlights have already been converted to LED lights.
To use solar energy to power our streetlights at night requires a battery storage system. This will add significantly to cost and require additional manpower for maintenance, and this will need to be weighed against the benefits.
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