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ENERGY SAVING PUBLIC LIGHTING IN MALTA - MIEMA

ENERGY SAVING PUBLIC LIGHTING IN MALTA - MIEMA

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<strong>ENERGY</strong> <strong>SAV<strong>IN</strong>G</strong> <strong>PUBLIC</strong> <strong>LIGHT<strong>IN</strong>G</strong> <strong>IN</strong><strong>MALTA</strong>A publication byMalta Intelligent Energy ManagementAgencySupported byIntelligent Energy Europe


Energy Saving Public Lighting in MaltaA report on public lighting installationsPrepared byMalta Intelligent Energy Management Agency2010www.miema.orgDisclaimerThe sole responsibility for the content of this publication lies with the authors. It doesnot necessarily reflect the opinion of the European Union. Neither the EACI nor theEuropean Commission are responsible for any use that may be made of theinformation contained therein.


Table of Contents1 Introduction...................................................................................................................42 National Energy Efficiency Action Plan ......................................................................63 Sustainable Energy Action Plans.................................................................................84 Energy Efficient Public Lighting..................................................................................105 Specific Projects .........................................................................................................125.1 Zejtun ................................................................................................................. 125.1.1 Misraħ Brejgu ......................................................................................... 125.1.2 Ġnien iż-Żgħożija ................................................................................... 145.2 St Paul’s Bay...................................................................................................... 155.3 Road Signage .................................................................................................. 175.4 Other Projects................................................................................................... 186 New Proposals ............................................................................................................206.1 Birgu................................................................................................................... 206.2 Bormla ............................................................................................................... 226.3 Gharghur........................................................................................................... 236.4 Church Lighting................................................................................................ 24


Energy Saving Public Lighting in Malta1 IntroductionFollowing the latest economic turmoil, more and more people are becomingaware of our society's dependence on petroleum. The economic crisis set offin December 2007 as a result of the mortgage-backed securities in the UnitedStates was exacerbated by the instability in the price of crude oil and led toan increase in the prices of energy, food and water.Two years of economic crisis have brewed the strategy for Europe 2020, inwhich the objective is to enable the European Union to become strongerfollowing the financial recovery. This involves the adoption of a newframework of thought incorporating a sustainable economy.The issue of public lighting, besides an emerging phenomenon of lightpollution, is turning out to be also a remarkable field on which to realizeenergy saving interventions. Some UNI and CEI regulations have tried tomitigate light pollution and contain energy use for such purposes. Studiesprove that it is justifiable to try to improve public lighting installations throughsuitable Lighting Plans adopted by local councils, reducing the light flowscattered towards the sky, with savings of up to 40-50%.The Malta Intelligent Energy Management Agency (<strong>MIEMA</strong>) was set up withthe support of the Intelligent Energy—Europe (IEE) programme and a numberof public institutions. Its aim is to promote a more intelligent use of energyresources. <strong>MIEMA</strong> provides a free information service to stakeholders, such aslocal councils, trade associations, government entities and the generalpublic.As part of its activities, <strong>MIEMA</strong> has undertaken an analysis of the efficiency ofpublic and private lighting systems and their possible modification in order toget a lower light pollution and a greater energy saving. The interventionproject in public lighting consisted of appropriate research on the systemsused in the municipalities of Malta and Gozo, carried out in conjunction withthe Association of Local Councils, Enemalta, the Malta Resources Authorityand the Ministry for Resources and Rural Affairs.A number of local councils have implemented pilot feasibility projects in theirrespective localities. The implementation, outcome and results of theseprojects are being presented in this document in order to encourage otherLocal Councils to undertake similar measures within the context of theMaltese municipality. <strong>MIEMA</strong> has worked closely with a number ofmunicipalities, helping them to adopt lighting plans, reducing light pollutionand maximizing energy efficiency.Malta Intelligent Energy Management Agency 4


Energy Saving Public Lighting in Malta2 National Energy Efficiency Action PlanThe National Energy Efficiency Action Plan (NEEAP) fulfils the provisions of Art.14 (2) of Directive 2006/32/EC of the European Parliament and of the Councilof 5 April 2006 on energy end-use efficiency and energy services. It waspublished in November 2008 by the Ministry for Resources and Rural Affairs.The Action Plan takes into account other initiatives that are being or havebeen developed at Community level, including legislative instruments. TheEuropean Community, together with Member States, is working to improveenergy efficiency in all sectors whilst at the same time increasing the use ofrenewable energies. The Green Paper on Energy Efficiency points to the factthat the EU could save at least 20% of its present energy consumption in acost-effective manner.In order to support better integration of energy efficiency measures intonational legislation the European Commission has proposed several directiveswhich have been adopted and are now in force. These concern broad areaswhere there is significant potential for energy savings, such as: End-useEfficiency & Energy Services; Energy Efficiency in Buildings; Eco-design ofEnergy-Using Products; Energy Labelling of Domestic Appliances; CombinedHeat and Power (Cogeneration); Vehicle emissions 1 .Energy efficiency is regarded as a principal objective in Government’s energypolicy, primarily in view of its impact on the demand for energy and itspropensity to reduce the country’s fuel bill and its carbon footprint. TheNEEAP has as its main aim the identification of the most economically viableopportunities for savings, and their propagation for eventual adoption andexploitation in the field.It is also a declared policy objective of the plan to find synergies betweenenergy efficiency and the overall Government’s energy policies, particularlyas an opportunity for economic growth, as well as the various ramifications inspheres of social development and the environment. When compared tomeasures of alternative and renewable energy sources, energy efficiency isvariously considered more of a viable option for improved energy securityand the reduction of carbon emissions.1 National Energy Efficiency Action Plan, 2008Malta Intelligent Energy Management Agency 6


Energy Saving Public Lighting in MaltaThe Plan generally purports to identify those measures deemed to be mostcost-effective and that will optimise energy efficiency in a number ofcontexts. The Plan further aims to denote a way forward for the rationalimplementation of these measures.The NEEAP identifies measures that will generate energy efficiency andproposes to implement them in a structured holistic manner, in line with thefollowing strategy:• Ensure that the public sector becomes a role model in energyefficiency;• Promote increased awareness and behavioural change by consumerson an individual level;• Adopt financing tools and economic incentives targeting all sectors,implemented in full compliance with the applicable State aid rules, thatwill stimulate take up of more efficient technologies;• Take advantage of, and support, international efforts – in particular atEU level – to ensure that more efficient energy using products becomeavailable to the consumer;• Use legislation and fiscal instruments judiciously, for example by settingstandards for energy performance in buildings or for providers of energyservices such as auditors or installers;• Carry out research in energy efficient technologies and practicessuitable for adoption in Malta; and• Create the organisational structures necessary to support theachievement of these objectives 2 .2 National Energy Efficiency Action Plan, 2008Malta Intelligent Energy Management Agency 7


Energy Saving Public Lighting in Malta3 Sustainable Energy Action PlansSustainable Energy Action Plans (SEAPs) are a direct requirement of adhesionto the Covenant of Mayors. Local governments commit to submit their SEAPwithin the year following adhesion, this being a key document showing howthe local government will reach its CO2 reduction target by 2020. It isparticularly significant to the perceived leading role of local government inenergy performance that the SEAP is intended to address both the public andprivate sectors, especially since the covenant's commitments concern thewhole geographical area of the local government’s jurisdiction. In principle, itis anticipated that most SEAPs will include actions in the following sectors:– Built environment, including new buildings and major refurbishment;– Municipal infrastructure (district heating, public lighting, smart grids,etc);– Land use and urban planning;– Decentralised renewable energy sources;– Public and private transport policies and urban mobility;– Citizen and, in general, civil society participation;– Intelligent energy behaviour by citizens, consumers and businesses.The SEAP also specifically intended to include only those areas that fall withinthe usual competences of municipalities, and to exclude those that do not.Thus, for example, the SEAP should not include reductions of greenhouse gasemissions due to industry delocalisation, as industrial policy falls outside thescope of municipalities. However, it can and should include an indication ofhow the various activity areas of the local government will include measuresfor energy efficiency, renewable energy projects and such like energyrelatedactions. SEAPs preparation should involve civil society, as those with ahigh degree of citizen participation are the most likely to continue in the longtermand to succeed in attaining their objectives. The Covenant of Mayorsdeals with action at local level within the strict competence of the localgovernments, which are expected to take action in several or all of theirpossible roles:– Consumer and service provider;– Planner, developer and regulator;– Advisor, motivator and a model; andMalta Intelligent Energy Management Agency 8


Energy Saving Public Lighting in Malta4 Energy Efficient Public LightingOne sure way of reducing the consumption of electricity and the associatedCO2 emissions is the installation of public lighting. The majority of streetlighting currently makes use of sodium vapour lamps. Replacing these byLight Emitting Diode (LED) technology can represent a considerable saving byvirtue of the inherent electrical energy efficiency of the latter whencompared to conventional alternatives. The very low consumption figureshelp offset the main drawback of LED lighting, namely the initial capital outlayof LEDs in comparison with conventional street lamps lights, currently standingat about three times as much. Moreover, LED lights require next to zeromaintenance costs.The return on capital investment is further enhanced by the fact that amodern LED lamp has an endurance of over 100,000 hours. This contrastssharply with a conventional sodium-vapour street lamp lasting for only 18,000hours. An LED's lifetime is thus around 5 times longer than that of a sodiumlamp, and although the unit cost difference is in favour of the conventionallamp, this is mitigated by the labour cost of replacement of a single streetluminary lighting fixture, considering that these are always located well aboveground level.When all is said an energy-efficient solution reduces maintenance, labour andthe luminary costs by a factor of more than 5. It is estimated that if as little as10 normal street lights are replaced by LED lamps, the CO₂ emissions can bereduced by 1,000 kg annually.Malta Intelligent Energy Management Agency 10


Energy Saving Public Lighting in MaltaFigure 1 An LED public lampOne intelligent idea would be to install the most energy saving lightingsolutions in the most popular and central places, thereby ensuring adequatepromotion of such solutions among the general public, as well as providingvisibility to the efforts of the local councils. There are various public gardensand playing fields around the islands which have insufficient lighting or, insome cases, no lighting at all. LED lamps could be installed in these places toincrease safety and security in such areas.Arterial roads tend to be wider, which means that they require higher powerlighting. It is customary to use 250W sodium-vapour fittings in such situations,and replacing these with 140W LEDs would result in a reduction in energyconsumption of 44% and the carbon footprint for each lighting unit by 1,007kg annually.Malta Intelligent Energy Management Agency 11


Energy Saving Public Lighting in Malta5 Specific ProjectsA number of projects involving energy efficient public lighting have beencompleted in various locations around the Maltese Islands. This section takesan in-depth look at selected projects, identifying the salient features and theoverall benefits and savings in carbon emissions.The projects were mostly implemented by local councils, generally working ondecorative lighting in public recreational areas such as public gardens. Mostprojects involved changing existing lighting with more efficient lamps such asLEDs and installing solar powered lighting.5.1 Zejtun5.1.1 Misraħ BrejguZejtun Mayor Joe Attard confirmed that the first set of LED street lamps on theisland were commissioned by the Zejtun local council. These street lights wereproposed for Misraħ Brejgu, and the project was approved in May 2009.The location consists of a rectangular open space within the sub-urban fabricof the village. The square includes planted areas with short trees and shrubs,as well as public seating facilities. The space has an area of 1,680m 2 . It is notcentrally placed in the village, and not as popular among residents.Malta Intelligent Energy Management Agency 12


Energy Saving Public Lighting in MaltaFigure 2 Examples of LED public lighting in a Maltese context at Misraħ BrejguConventional 70W Sodium-vapour street lamps were replaced by 26W LEDlights. Ten poles were installed, each pole covering an area of 168m 2 . Thetotal reduction in consumption is of 440W. It is important to note thereduction in CO2 emissions. Use of the sodium vapour lamps resulted in theproduction of 3205 Kg of CO2 per annum, while LED lamps result in anemission of 1,190 Kg of CO2 per annum. This translates to a total reduction of2,015 Kg of CO2 per annum or 201.5 Kg of CO2 per annum per fixture, or twothirds less compared to the conventional consumption.Malta Intelligent Energy Management Agency 13


Energy Saving Public Lighting in Malta5.1.2 Ġnien iż-ŻgħożijaAnother public garden in Zejtun was originally intended to function as anenergy saving hotspot. This is located near to an artery road, but it is wellplaced to serve as an energy efficiency showcase for the benefit of thegeneral public. Nevertheless, although the project involved the installation ofa photovoltaic panel, the lights used in the park are of the Sodium-vapourkind consuming around 220W each. It is evident that such a small panelcontributes a negligible amount of energy to the lamps, these being alsoconnected to the grid, and therefore the setup is probably energeticallyunsustainable.Figure 3 The solar panel at Ġnien iż-ŻgħożijaMalta Intelligent Energy Management Agency 14


Energy Saving Public Lighting in MaltaFigure 4 A sodium-vapour lamp at Ġnien iż-ŻgħożijaIn the case of the two installations at Zejtun, it is indeed a pity to note that themore energy efficient solution is hidden away from popular view, while theless efficient one is considerably more centrally located. On the contrary, themost energy saving lighting solutions should be installed in the most popularand central places. The use of energy saving solutions should be encouragedeverywhere, including remote areas. Yet, at this point in time the bestsolutions should be used in the most popular places. In this way thepromotion of such solutions can be facilitated by way of example by thelocal councils to the general public.5.2 St Paul’s BayAnother project was done by St Paul’s Bay Local Council. Solar-powered lightfittings have been installed in Jean De La Cassiere Street. The driving forcebehind this project was the ease of installation of such a system. Aconventional installation would have required the digging of trenches in orderto route hundreds of metres of copper cables beneath the street.The PV powered solutions incurred less cost, time and disturbance. PV streetlamps allow for the creation of lighting systems by exploiting solar energy,which, in the case of the Maltese Islands is both abundant and predictable.The solar powered light fittings were designed to cater for Malta’s specificneed and conform to the British Standard BS 5489.Malta Intelligent Energy Management Agency 15


Energy Saving Public Lighting in MaltaFigure 5 Solar Powered Lighting in St Paul’s BayApart from reducing electricity costs, these solar powered lights have theadvantage of requiring less lighting equipment than normal street lights. Adisadvantage of these solar-powered lights is that they should be cleanedregularly as the dust and dirt which accumulates over the photovoltaic panelcan affect the performance of the lighting hours by up to 50%. Also, theperformance of these lights depends on the weather, but this is not a seriousissue in the Maltese Islands since they have the highest insolation levels inEurope and sunshine almost all year round. The photovoltaic panel on eachpole was nevertheless slightly bigger than required. These safety measuresensured that enough solar energy was absorbed by each panel in extremeconditions.Such an item does not require any form of infrastructure, making it the bestcandidate for places with a weak grid or no grid at all. Solar poweredsolutions perfectly suit rural areas with such weaknesses. The provision of lightat night can enhance mobility, safety and hygiene.Malta Intelligent Energy Management Agency 16


Energy Saving Public Lighting in Malta5.3 Road SignageSome local councils have adopted a similar idea to illuminate temporary andpermanent traffic signs. Scientific research proved that the lifetime of LEDsdoes not deteriorate with frequent switching. This made them the preferredcandidate for dimming and warning lights. LEDs are being increasingly usedin traffic diversion signs (temporarily) and zebra crossings. Feedback from thelocal councils concerned has revealed such signage systems to be morevisible to drivers. In this manner, such a fixture does not only reduce thecapital costs and GHG, but increases the safety on the roads.Examples of energy saving lighting for traffic signs may be seen at Xlendi(Munxar Local Council), in Gozo, and Naxxar.Figure 6 Solar Powered Lighting at Xlendi on the island of GozoMalta Intelligent Energy Management Agency 17


Energy Saving Public Lighting in MaltaFigure 7 Solar Powered Zebra Crossing Lighting in Naxxar5.4 Other Projects<strong>MIEMA</strong> has also assisted the local councils of Birgu, Pembroke, Marsaskalaand Santa Lucija to develop their plans for solar powered, energy savingpublic lighting projects. It should be noted that several localities havebenefitted from the central government’s scheme for the efficient use ofenergy, which can provide most of the funds required for projects usingrenewable energy or reducing the use of energy. Indeed, in 2009, 41 of the68 local councils in Malta and Gozo have received a grant to implementprojects of this kind. Among these, one can mention Floriana, Gharghur,Mgarr, Mellieha, Mosta, Mtarfa and Naxxar, in Malta, and Ghajnsielem,Kercem, Nadur, Qala, Rabat, Sannat, Xaghra and Zebbug, in Gozo.In Valletta, a Christmas tree comprising 230 LED light fittings is set up annuallyat St George's Square, resulting in 95% savings in electricity and a significantreduction of GHG. <strong>MIEMA</strong> estimates that during the festive season, thisMalta Intelligent Energy Management Agency 18


Energy Saving Public Lighting in Maltagenerates potential savings of up to 1573 units, equivalent to 1644.5 kg ofCarbon Dioxide.At the Malta International Airport, the 250W Sodium-vapour fittings have beenreplaced with 140W LEDs. The energy consumption was in this case reducedby 44% and the carbon footprint for each lighting unit was reduced by 1007kg annually.In the next section, proposals for new projects suggested to the respectivemunicipalities are being indicated.Malta Intelligent Energy Management Agency 19


Energy Saving Public Lighting in Malta6 New Proposals6.1 BirguA garden overlooking the harbour in Birgu is another ideal site identified for apublic lighting project, as it is visited by many persons. The area is popular asa local attraction due to its history dating back to the Great Siege of 1565. Atpresent, the place has 70W sodium vapour street lamps. The garden wouldserve admirably as an energy efficiency showcase by virtue of its excellentlocation and popularity, enjoying panoramic views of the Grand Harbour. Aconcerted effort at integrating energy efficient lighting with the historical andaesthetic strong points of the site is likely to prove very effective.Figure 8 Google map of the garden at BirguMalta Intelligent Energy Management Agency 20


Energy Saving Public Lighting in MaltaFigure 9 Public garden in BirguThe park has an area of 281.6m 2 . If the same design as Misraħ Brejgu were tobe used, two of the existing poles could be fitted with LEDs by a localcompany, as shown in Figure 11.Figure 10 Positions of the proposed LED lightsThe present lamps consume about 1,209.6 KWh each year and result in CO2emissions of 1,264 Kg. With the installation of two 26W LEDs the carbonfootprint would be reduced by 1,036 kg annually.Malta Intelligent Energy Management Agency 21


Energy Saving Public Lighting in Malta6.2 BormlaAnother public garden where LED lighting could be installed is a popular spotoverlooking Grand Harbour’s Dockyard Creek, in Bormla.Figure 11 Google map of the garden at BormlaPresently there are no lights in this area. Stairs which are popular during thedaytime are not used in the evening due to lack of lighting, and installation ofproper lighting would thus be a welcome contribution to increased safetyand security.More lighting per square metre is necessary in this case, to overcome theinevitable shadowing by the many trees present. The total area of thegarden is approximately 1,850m 2 . If each LED light covers an area of 168m 2 ,the garden will require a minimum of 11 poles. To ensure enough lighting it issuggested that 14 lighting units are used, placed as shown in Figure 13.Malta Intelligent Energy Management Agency 22


Energy Saving Public Lighting in MaltaFigure 12 Position of the proposed lighting polesIf 70W common sodium vapour lamps were installed the CO2 emissions wouldbe of 4.486.932 kg per annum. On the other hand, with the use of LEDs, theCO2 emission would be of 1.666.575 kg per annum.6.3 GharghurAnother area identified where LED lights may be installed is a small square inGharghur overlooking the valley. A number of benches are present, makingthe site a popular one during the daytime. However, there is insufficientlighting at night.Malta Intelligent Energy Management Agency 23


Energy Saving Public Lighting in MaltaFigure 13 Google map of Gharghur square6.4 Church LightingThe Catholic Archdiocese of Malta has calculated that on average, eachparish church consumes five and a half million units of electricity per annum.This load is substantially composed of a large number of outdoor decorativeHalogen Halide bulbs which consume around 20W. It is possible to substitutethese with LEDs consuming 1W per unit while yielding the same amount oflight (lumens). The visibility of such a project would be effective to promoteenergy efficient lighting.Malta Intelligent Energy Management Agency 24


Energy Saving Public Lighting in MaltaMalta Intelligent Energy Management Agency 25

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