Skip to main content

Amey upgrades 64,000 Edinburgh streetlights

Amey says energy reduction will save Scottish capital's council £54m over next 20 years
By Ben Spencer July 19, 2021 Read time: 2 mins
Amey says the renewal helped the city reduce CO2 emissions in compliance with Scottish Energy Efficiency Programme (© Sutichak | Dreamstime.com)

Amey has upgraded more than 64,000 LED streetlights in Scotland's capital, claiming that the move will save the City of Edinburgh Council £54 million over 20 years.

The programme began in June 2018 and involved more than 55,000 street lights, approximately 1,600 street lighting column replacements and various auxiliary electrical elements.

This street lighting renewal has helped the city reduce carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions in compliance with Scotland’s Energy Efficiency Programme.

Transport and environment convener councillor Lesley Macinnes says: “The upgrade of street lighting across the city will not only save the council millions, but will also have a real impact on CO2 emissions – since the beginning of the project we’ve already seen a sustained reduction in electricity consumption and carbon use. When comparing March 2018 to March 2021, energy consumption has dropped 40% as a result and we still have eight months to go.”

Additionally, the team installed a dynamic street lighting control management system that allows for more efficient management of the lighting, reducing the need for people to report faults as these are now being automatically picked up.

As part of the deal, Amey upgraded the lighting system in the local Colinton Tunnel and Trinity Tunnel replacing with LED units achieving 150/149 lux.

According to Amey: “This renovation of Colinton tunnel has also been the focus for a new mural funded by the community which has now become an Edinburgh landmark.”

Related Content

  • August 12, 2021
    Tern helps Dutch-X make greener NY deliveries 
    Tern e-bikes in New York City have been upgraded with Bosch motors and batteries
  • February 25, 2015
    Substantial savings from smarter street lighting
    As authorities strive to reduce expenditure and carbon emissions, Colin Sowman looks at some of the smart ways of managing street lighting while containing costs and maintaining safety. Street lighting can account for 40% of an authority’s energy consumption. So, faced with the need to reduce outgoings, some authorities are looking for smart ways of managing street lighting or even turning off swathes of street lights in the small hours. Back in 2008 the E-street Initiative report concluded that authorities
  • September 20, 2021
    ITSWC 2021: New solutions for the new normal
    October’s ITS World Congress in Hamburg will profile the changing face of mobility, with real-world examples of electric vehicle implementation, shared transport and autonomy taking centre stage
  • May 9, 2016
    New Zealand government driving the switch to electric vehicles
    The New Zealand government has announced plans to double the number of electric vehicles in the country every year to reach approximately 64,000 by 2021 in an ambitious and wide ranging package of measures to increase the uptake of electric vehicles. The package also includes extending the road user charges exemption on light electric vehicles until they make up two percent of the light vehicle fleet and a new road user charges exemption for heavy electric vehicles until they make up two percent of the h