The Institute of Public Works Engineering Australasia (IPWEA) has released the long-awaited Model LED Public Lighting Specification and the Model Public Lighting Controls Specification this week.
According to a press release from the IPWEA, the two “game-changing” documents will allow Australian and New Zealand councils to save millions of dollars on ‘smart city’ street lighting projects.
IPWEA CEO Robert Fuller said in the statement that new specifications will remove uncertainty around street lighting procurement, which has resulted in impediments, inefficiencies and cost overruns because of poorly drafted and often technically inconsistent specifications.
“These new specifications will be a ‘game changer’ for accelerating the rollout of LED lighting and smart controls across Australia and New Zealand, helping all parties successfully navigate the maze of new lighting technology,” Mr Fuller said.
According to IPWEA modeling, if every street light in Australia and New Zealand were converted to LEDs, councils would slash $120 million off their annual street lighting bills.
The statement however, asserted the features that provide these benefits also add complexity to the specification and procurement process, making the process difficult for all parties involved. Currently, only 10% of Australia and New Zealand’s street lights have been converted to LEDs.
“Early LED specifications often resulted in inefficient procurement processes that were costly for suppliers to respond to, raised the risks of inappropriate or poorly performing outcomes for buyers, and often resulted in less than fit for purpose outcomes,” said Mr. Fuller.
“Overall, this inefficient process has impeded the timely uptake of LEDs and controls for public lighting despite the many demonstrated advantages they provide.”
The Model Specifications aim provide an informative, structured template focused on the technical aspects for local governments, road authorities and electricity distribution utilities, allowing them to prepare their own customised specifications within a structured public tender.
“The peer review of the specifications has been so overwhelming positive that we have already had requests to trial these on projects in Europe,” Mr Fuller said.
Input from both Australian and international industry was incorporated into the specifications to help ensure they reflect best industry practice.
The Model Specifications are part of the Street Lighting and Smart Controls Program (SLSC) which has been funded by the Australian Federal Government, Department of the Environment and Energy, to improve energy, environmental, economic and social outcomes.
The specifications can be downloaded from the SLSC website (www.slsc.org.au or www.slsc.org.nz) and are being supported by free industry webinars.
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