CU Phosco’s LED upgrade solution supports Suffolk County Council’s Net Zero ambitions

In March 2019, Suffolk County Council declared a Climate Emergency and set out ambitions for becoming a carbon-neutral organisation by 2030. To support its initiatives, the council launched a streetlight upgrade project in partnership with Bouygues Energies & Services (Bouygues E&S).

The project aimed to replace 43,400 street lighting lanterns across Suffolk’s roads and residential areas with LED upgrades. Its key objectives were to reduce energy consumption and carbon footprint, minimise light pollution, and bring down ongoing maintenance costs, all within an ambitious timeframe.

CU Phosco worked with Designs for Lighting to provide the initial lighting design, then manufactured and supplied Bouygues E&S with 1,500 units per working week to ensure the project was completed within the tight timeframe, helping the council achieve the maximum energy savings quickly.

Over 12 months, Bouygues E&S replaced over 40,000 Suffolk streetlights with CU Phosco’s E950 and P863 LED lanterns for roads and residential areas.

The E950 is a high-quality, low-cost solution to replace existing sodium discharge and compact fluorescent luminaires on minor roads. It is Dark Skies friendly, so offers excellent optical cut-off, drastically reducing light pollution. Likewise, P863 excels in optical performance, thermal management, compatibility, and serviceability, resulting in an uncompromised outcome of efficiency and versatility that is future-proofed for an optimised investment.

The project was a great success. Bouygues E&S completed the main installation in just 12 months and accomplished several key objectives, including reducing the council’s energy consumption and carbon footprint, decreasing light pollution, and lowering ongoing maintenance costs. Both the E950 and P863 LED lanterns met the latest British Standard 5605 for roads and conservation areas and provided compliant lighting levels.

Notably, the project achieved 76 percent energy savings, resulting in £1.7 million in annual electricity cost savings for the council to date. In addition, the LED technology used in the upgrade is expected to increase the lifecycle of the equipment, providing further cost savings in the long run. The upgrade also guarantees better facial recognition and improved light cut-offs resulting in less light intrusion into residential properties.

Matt Fitzpatrick Bouygues Energies & Services Sales Director, said, “The energy-efficient LED technology provided by CU Phosco not only vastly reduces energy consumption and increases the equipment lifecycle, but it also played a crucial role in enabling the project to be completed within the tight timeframe. The P863 and E950 LED lanterns were easy to install, which helped our team deliver the upgrade quickly. This LED Street lighting upgrade not only brings notable benefits to Suffolk’s local communities but also provides the Authority with significant carbon savings to help the County achieve its Net Zero ambitions. The decision to commit to this project and the speed at which it was delivered has meant the Suffolk County Council will also realise a return on investment of just over four years.”

Richard Webster, Asset Manager – Street Lighting at Suffolk County Council / Suffolk Highways, Project Director Adept Live Labs, concludes, “The conversion to these new LED lanterns has enabled the council to save a considerable amount on energy costs whilst also reducing maintenance visits and supports our organisation’s ambition to become a carbon-neutral organisation by 2030. We look forward to its continued positive impact in the coming years as we realise the benefits of stronger, cheaper, and more environmentally friendly streetlights.”