An energy audit is a key part of energy management, both in municipal infrastructure and in business operations. Although municipal street lighting and business energy use occur in different settings, many energy-efficiency principles are common to both. In this article, we explain whether street lighting can be subject to an energy audit and what benefits the process can deliver.
Street lighting as part of municipal infrastructure
Street lighting is a key element of municipal infrastructure, supporting safety and residents’ quality of life. At the same time, because of its substantial electricity consumption, it can represent a significant item in the energy budgets of cities and municipalities. Traditional lighting systems based on sodium-vapour or mercury-vapour technology are highly energy-intensive and have relatively short service lives, resulting in high operating and maintenance costs.
Street lighting energy audit
Street lighting can clearly be assessed through an energy audit for several key reasons. Modernizing street lighting systems by switching to LED technology can deliver significant energy savings. LEDs offer higher energy efficiency and longer service life than traditional light sources. An energy audit makes it possible to assess the potential savings from replacing existing luminaires with more energy-efficient alternatives. Street lighting is one of the larger energy consumers in municipal infrastructure and therefore contributes to greenhouse gas emissions. By carrying out an energy audit and implementing the recommended upgrades, cities can significantly reduce their carbon footprint. This is consistent with global efforts to promote sustainable development and mitigate climate change.
The cost of operating lighting systems, including both energy use and maintenance, can account for a significant share of a city’s budget. An energy audit helps identify areas where optimization is possible.
Street lighting replacement or modernization and Poland’s white certificate system
Polish white certificates, or energy efficiency certificates, are documents issued by the Polish Energy Regulatory Office (URE) to confirm that energy companies have achieved a specified amount of energy savings. Obtaining such a certificate requires the implementation of projects aimed at improving energy efficiency. One example is the replacement or modernization of street lighting. In practice, white certificates function as a kind of “currency” on the energy market and can be sold to other entities required to acquire them. In this way, municipalities can obtain additional funds for further investments.
