LED lighting trial cuts energy costs by 60 per cent

New LED lights in the Theatre Royal car park look set to save the Council more than £14,000 a year and cut carbon emissions by half.

The lights were installed by Plymouth City Council in January as part of an energy saving pilot and initial reports indicate they will slash running costs by almost 60 per cent. They produce a colour similar to daylight and dim and brighten as needed, thanks to motion sensors. 

The Theatre Royal car park is an important part of Plymouth’s after dark economy – providing a safe and convenient place to park for people attending events and performances at the theatre and visiting the city centre.

Customer feedback on the new lighting has been positive, with many car park users preferring the more natural light and the Council is now looking to install similar lighting in other car parks and Council buildings.

Plans are also under way to refit Plymouth’s 30,000 street lights with better performing LED lamps, which could bring average savings of around £1.7 million a year, over 20 years.

Councillor Mark Lowry, Cabinet Member for Finance, said: “We are determined to transform the way we use energy in Plymouth and are on target to reduce carbon emissions by 20 per cent from 2010 levels. The city will continue to explore ways of cutting energy costs centrally, as well as saving money for residents by supporting schemes such as the Plymouth Energy Community.”