|
|
|
|
069C BLISS Better Lighting In Sustainable Streets
Project priority: Environmental challenges
Strategic Initiatives: unspecified
Start date: 01-01-2009
End date: 30-06-2014
Website: www.bliss-streetlab.eu
ERDF Grant: 3,598,361.00
Total eligible cost: 7,196,722.00
|
Lead Partner contact person
Name: Rory Lingham
Organisation: St Helens Metropolitan Borough Council
Address: Wesley House, Corporation Street WA11 9HY St Helens ,
Tel: +44 (0) 1744 456381
Email: rorylingham@sthelens.gov.uk
Country: UK
|
Project partners
1. St Helens Metropolitan Borough Council [UK]
2. gemeente Eindhoven [NL]
3. Interleuven [BE]
4. Stadt Kaiserslautern [DE]
|
|
|
Summary description
The project aim is to examine further ways to reduce the amount of energy consumed by street lighting using tailored design techniques and the application of energy saving products across a range of highway scenarios whilst examining the effects that this has on crime / accident statistics, citizen's perceptions and socio economic impacts. Philips Lighting have estimated that if the 33% of street lighting in Europe lit using traditional methods were replaced, energy consumption savings of up to 40% could be achieved. The GreenSwitch factbook (June 07) identifies potential savings in the sector to be 20-30 terrawatt hours, equating to 5-10 million tons carbon dioxide emissions, which is equivalent to 20-45 million barrels of oil or 10-15 medium sized power plants. There have been a number of small focussed initiatives, which have identified some of the potential benefits and it is the intention of this project to build on these targeted initiatives
The benefits of a broad spectrum of existing energy reduction techniques including the use of energy saving lamps, varying switching times, dynamic lighting control and the application of variable lighting levels when circumstances dictate will be reviewed across the project partnership. There is an almost universal preconception by citizens that “better” street lighting means increased illumination to prevent crime, social disorder and traffic accidents and it is expected that there may be possible concern to some of the techniques to be applied. The project seeks, therefore to examine, challenge and understand citizens' beliefs and preconceptions with the aim of enabling street lighting authorities to neutralise potential antagonism
|
Detailed description
The Project Manager and Financial Manager will work alongside the Project Coordinator who will act as the hub for partners and observers. The Lead Partner will initially agree at project commencement audit trails and recording requirements in line with EU Guidance. Partner systems will be verified. The project development phase will generate detailed milestones. Day to day communications will be primarily through email and via a shared partner/observer web. A quarterly meeting for all partners will:
· Report progress to milestones
· Act as a knowledge exchange forum
· Consider emerging technology
· Report on local stakeholders
· Discuss positive and negative outcomes and achievements
The quarterly meetings will be held in varying locations to allow visits to live projects, research establishments and potential suppliers of equipment. Best practice and capacity building will develop.
There will be a number of observers of the project as follows (not an exclusive list)The Institution of Lighting Engineers (ILE) will link up with other current UK based projects that are investigating ways of reducing the energy consumption of street lighting. Lighting Urban Community International (LUCI) will act in a similar way to the ILE but will link up with other European and worldwide street lighting projects.Philips Lighting will advise on luminaires and will be invited to tender for certain types of lighting equipment.The University of Manchester will liaise with manufacturers of street lighting equipment to develop new technology for use in the project.The Carbon Trust will advise on reductions of Carbon Dioxide through the use of new technology and methodology.Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council will test innovations developed within the project and liaise with adjacent street lighting authorities in the Midlands.
|
Objectives description
To contribute to European Climate Change Programme commitments to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and assist the EU to meet its targets under the Kyoto Protocol by reducing the amount of energy consumed by street lighting (Work Packages = 1, 2, 3 & 4), To demonstrate that the main project aim can be accomplished without adversely affecting economic activity, compromising traffic safety or crime levels or creating resistance from stakeholders (Work Packages = 2, 3 & 4), To observe and analyse new management techniques and technology by taking actions in a diverse range of economic, social, geographic and cultural contexts in order to identify optimal solutions, which can be transferred to other geographical areas in Europe (Work Packages = 1, 2 & 3 ), To lobby regional and national representatives in the political arena to redirect investment priorities towards street lighting, which is low on the list of investment priorities (Work Packages = 4)
The objectives are
1. To support Priority 2 of the Interreg Programme 4B
By carrying out a series of actions to directly reduce energy consumption in the investment areas by an estimated 20%, To demonstrate the tangible benefits of the of the as yet unproven new technology and management techniques,To encourage the transfer of the insights gained by producing a series of optimum design solutions for each of the different economic, social, geographic and cultural contexts
To actively disseminate the solutions by the production and dissemination of a “tool kit” to aid other public lighting authorities to make informed investment decisions
2. To support Priority 4 of the Interreg Programme 4B by achieving objective 1
without adversely affecting economic sustainability, without increasing the incidence or severity of crime and traffic accidents,without creating a negative response and resistance to the solutions by stakeholders
|
Activities description
To develop and install a series of optimum street lighting strategies for the different economic, social, geographic and cultural contexts, monitor and analyse the outcomes of the investments and completion of a series of detailed reports, including the impact on economic and social activity, crime and accident patterns, stakeholder perceptions, environmental impacts and lifetime energy reductions projected to be achieved, dissemination of the results to the partner authorities, regional assemblies, professional organisations, police authorities, citizens, local businesses, and regional and national representatives of organisations who are in a position to affect policy and investment decisions
Four baseline studies, four analytical reports on design techniques, four energy saving design strategies, ten infrastructure investments which will be continually monitored, particularly in regard to the impact of the actions taken on crime patterns, traffic accidents, public perception, economical regeneration and energy consumption, ten reports stemming from the monitoring data, identifying the impact on economic and social activity, crime and accident patterns, traffic flow, stakeholder perceptions and energy savings culminating in the delivery of a transnational strategy document, the formation of a transnational network to disseminate outcomes to the partner and companion authorities plus regional and national representatives who are in a position to affect strategic policy as well as encouraging the redirection of future investment
|
|
|
Innovation
The key to our proposal is to develop a range of socially acceptable energy reducing solutions whilst considering their wider social and economic impacts in terms of public perception, crime, accident and economic regeneration. The project will pilot the implementation of some of the most advanced sustainable techniques available. For example, intelligent solar-powered LED-lights activated by pedestrian movement will be installed, to illuminate pedestrian walkways and public areas. Main road lighting will communicate unwired over short distances and will be able to dim in intensity following real time data received from traffic flow monitoring equipment. Systems will be tested in different circumstances, including highways, secondary roads, and public spaces and will enable inferences to be drawn from the differences in geography and environment. Predicted energy savings range from 3% for basic trimming, 40% for dimming and reported savings of up to 80% for LED lighting
Organic LED's are seen as the next step in the advancement of lighting technology potentially capable of offering large, flexible self-illuminated surfaces that could effectively change the future of lighting design. Partners will work closely to examine their potential as a workable solution primarily in architectural lighting applications to create mood lighting, developing the ambience of commercial centres whilst exploring the impact that colour has on reducing crime. The intelligence gained during the project will be incorporated into a trans-national guide, which will act as a ‘best practice' tool kit, enabling the design and construction of energy efficient lighting. The guide will include case studies of ‘emerging practice': not the systems of tomorrow but those of the day after tomorrow
|
Project specifics
The reduction of energy consumption of street lighting should be a relatively easy win at low cost and the outcomes will be applicable to the rest of Europe. However, street lighting is perceived to be an important instrument in discouraging crime and anti-social behaviour, preventing traffic accidents and in promoting economic development by extending productive time in all economic sectors. It will be necessary to demonstrate that reductions in energy consumption do not result in a rise in crime and anti-social behaviour in order to prevent public opposition to the proposals. The project will therefore actively seek to establish the perceptions of all interested parties on a horizontal basis and modify them if necessary in the light of the proposed project outcomes
The reduction of public sector energy consumption in the street lighting sector, understanding the preconceptions of local stakeholders, the development of tailored energy saving control and management techniques for a range of differing social, economic, cultural and traffic conditions, practical demonstrations of how energy consumption can be reduced, by construction of best practice street lighting schemes in each partner country, the collection and monitoring of crime, accident and socio economic statistics in each investment area, equipment manufacturers, lighting professionals and citizens alike, the publication of a best practice design guide to demonstrate the project outcomes, promotion of the outcomes to a wide audience, seeking to lobby regional and national representative in the political arena in order to encourage the redirection of resources
|
Other EU projects involvement
E-Street www.e-streetlight.com
The E-Street project has a budget of approx Euros £1m , which is 50% funded by Intelligent Energy Europe and was completed in July 2008. It had 13 partners and its declared objective was to increase knowledge and awareness of intelligent street lighting and to accelerate the use of these technologies in Europe. The partners were located mainly in Eastern Europe and Scandinavia, but also include the Netherlands and Germany. The E-Street project focused on the subject of remotely controlling streetlights from a central point using telemanagement techniques. The Netherlands and Germany are also partners in BLISS, which will add value by facilitating technology transfer on the subject of the remote control of street lights, to street lighting authorities in North West Europe. BLISS will add value to this project by applying the telemanagement of streetlights to new technologies such as LED's, which was not coverered in E-Street.
STRING www.streetsforliving.net
The STRING project was mainly about the participation of the local community in the redesign of their streets, focusing on community involvement, improving social inclusion and reducing crime and antisocial behaviour. A small element of the project was to establish local residents' views on providing street lighting adjacent alleyways.
BLISS will add value to this project by investigating the use of tele-management techniques within emerging technology such as LED's which was not covered in E-Street. Further consideration is also to be given to the impact that energy saving lighting has on crime and accident statistics and social inclusion across five distinct areas of street lighting applications including strategic, main and residential road networks and commercial / business centres and public spaces and parking facilities. Each scheme / investment will focus on a different socio-environmental and geographical aspect of each application.
|
Previous EU projects involvement
E-Street www.e-streetlight.com
The E-Street project has a budget of approx Euros £1m , which is 50% funded by Intelligent Energy Europe and was completed in July 2008. It had 13 partners and its declared objective was to increase knowledge and awareness of intelligent street lighting and to accelerate the use of these technologies in Europe. The partners were located mainly in Eastern Europe and Scandinavia, but also include the Netherlands and Germany. The E-Street project focused on the subject of remotely controlling streetlights from a central point using telemanagement techniques. The Netherlands and Germany are also partners in BLISS, which will add value by facilitating technology transfer on the subject of the remote control of street lights, to street lighting authorities in North West Europe. BLISS will add value to this project by applying the telemanagement of streetlights to new technologies such as LED's, which was not coverered in E-Street.
STRING www.streetsforliving.net
The STRING project was mainly about the participation of the local community in the redesign of their streets, focusing on community involvement, improving social inclusion and reducing crime and antisocial behaviour. A small element of the project was to establish local residents' views on providing street lighting adjacent alleyways.
BLISS will add value to this project by investigating the use of tele-management techniques within emerging technology such as LED's which was not covered in E-Street. Further consideration is also to be given to the impact that energy saving lighting has on crime and accident statistics and social inclusion across five distinct areas of street lighting applications including strategic, main and residential road networks and commercial / business centres and public spaces and parking facilities. Each scheme / investment will focus on a different socio-environmental and geographical aspect of each application.
|
|
|
|
