According to the latest edition of the quarterly booklet the WCC distributes to households in the city.
The advantages are given as:
- Better light that gives clearer colours and detail — leading to safer streets
- Less light pollution as the light can be directed
- Cleaner for our environment — recyclable and contain no toxic material
- Energy saving – use a third of the energy compared to existing lights
- Longer life — last four to six times longer
- Reduce the city’s power and maintenance bills
- Quick to light up
- Easily dimmed or brightened as appropriate to the location
For those interested, there is this detailed report on the WCC website
However, there are those who say that making streets too bright at night can interfere with people’s melatonin levels, an important hormone involved in sleep and wakefulness cycles and said to have other benefits.
And in Kapiti? According to this story on the KC News website:
“Approximately 2,000 of the district’s 4,786 street lamps will be replaced with new white light-emitting diode (LED) lights over the next nine months.
“Infrastructure Services Group Manager Sean Mallon says the conversion is being made possible as a result of a one-off Government subsidy. The NZ Transport Agency will contribute 85 per cent of the estimated $1 million cost to convert to LED lights.”