Streetlights

Light Years Ahead and Lighting the Future Together upgrade programs 

Penrith City Council partnered with Endeavour Energy to upgrade streetlighting from non-LED lights to LED energy efficient fittings as part of Council’s sustainable practice and energy reduction plans.

The project commenced in 2015 as part of the “Light Years Ahead” streetlighting upgrade program. This was the largest Council-driven energy reduction project in Western Sydney’s history. The project was funded by the Federal Government for $5.2 million and was implemented across nine Western Sydney councils, including Penrith.

Over 14,000 streetlights in total were replaced with LED energy efficient fittings which provided a 77% reduction in greenhouse gas emission. For Penrith, this resulted in 1,816 existing “old-technology” streetlights being converted to LEDs. At the time, this represented 15% of the total number of inefficient streetlights in operation across the city. It achieved an annual energy saving for Council of $148,000.

The program was followed by a second rollout in 2019. Penrith Council contributed a further $3.33 million to fund this project within the LGA. It resulted in a further 7,738 residential streetlights being upgraded to LEDs across Penrith.

“Lighting the Future Together” program commenced in October 2021 and will see the remaining 9,808 non-LED fittings across the LGA upgraded to LEDs. Once these streetlights are updated, Penrith’s streetlight network of 20,619 luminaires will be upgraded.

It is expected that a full LED street lighting network will lead to energy savings of 3,424,623 kWh per annum, equating to 2,774 tonnes of CO2. This is expected to save Council more than $13 million over the next 20 years.

Which suburbs will streetlights be upgraded in?

Endeavour Energy’s crews will be upgrading streetlights in suburbs south of the Great Western Highway. This includes Caddens, Claremont Meadows, Colyton, Erskine Park, Emu Heights, Emu Plains, Glenmore Park, Jamisontown, Kemps Creek, Luddenham, Mount Vernon, Mulgoa, Regentville, South Penrith, St Clair, and Wallacia by the end of 2022.

In early 2023, Endeavour Energy crews will commence upgrading streetlights in suburbs north of the Great Western Highway. 

Frequently Asked Questions

How will the works affect my street on the day?

The changeover of streetlights involves a single elevated work platform with two to three crew members. It typically takes less than 10 minutes to replace a streetlight and the works are scheduled during times of low traffic volumes, so any disruptions to traffic flow in your street should not last long. All cars can remain parked on the streets.

Who is installing the new lights?

Endeavour Energy, the distribution company that owns the lighting infrastructure, will be installing the new lights on Council’s behalf. They will be liaising with Council throughout the project.

Why did Council choose these particular lights?

The LED lights chosen by Council have been approved for use by Endeavour Energy, which is the distribution company that owns the lighting infrastructure in the municipality. The lights have been tested to ensure they meet relevant Australian Standards in regard to safety and light levels. These lights have superior performance to the existing lights.

The new lights have:

• Greater uniformity of light across and along the street
• Better colour rendering and visibility
• Less depreciation of the light output over time
• Less waste light spill
• Lower maintenance costs

Who makes the lights?

The LED lights are made by Sylvania Schreder.

How long do the lights last?

The luminaire (the main body of the light) will last about 20 years, as will the LED chips.

The FAQ was provided by Endeavour Energy.