Street lights power consumption

[supersunbird]

The street lights are kept on to try and prevent cable theft. Live wires are more difficult and dangerous to steal than passive wires

But why only the one section or a street here and there, soms it's just a broken switch, OK?

 

[Magnum]

Take one out and measure it.

Take them all out just to be sure.

 

[Magnum]

But why only the one section or a street here and there, soms it's just a broken switch, OK?

All wires are pasive...Until you touch them.

 

[ArtyLoop]

Most suburban street lights are 250W.

I have yet to see a 70W street light, and I doubt they exist.

Highway lights will obviously have more power.

View attachment 602532

There are in my street.. my parent's street, and you can order them from BEKA too.

 

[Gordon_R]

Most suburban street lights are 250W.

I have yet to see a 70W street light, and I doubt they exist.

Highway lights will obviously have more power.

Edit: Wrong! The first answer in this thread is correct.

They range from 70W, 125W, 250W, 400W

I think that depends on your definition of a 'street', and how high the light poles are. My suburb has roads which are 9m wide, and the poles are 6m high. A 70W bulb is adequate, any higher would be overkill, and disturb residents sleep.

Higher power is appropriate for roads 12-15m wide, and poles 9m high.

Edit: I found one in our street at 70W. Also found one in Rosmead Ave (busy arterial road) at 125W.

 

[Swa]

I'm not concerned about the electricity but rather the wasted money.

 

[neoprema]

Many countries have rolled-out energy-efficient street lights. Its a good idea and it saves electricity.

But, its not a solution for Eskom's rampant theft of our money and govt collusion for theft of taxes.

 

[jphegers]

Street lights are there for safety. They solution lies in Eskom sorting out their generation capacity - not in them switching off street lights.

Safery in the day

 

[genetic]

Safery in the day

You dimmer than a light out?

Safety from criminals stealing cables.

 

[Kloofvreter]

Looks like we have a crusader here.

 

[Swa]

You dimmer than a light out?

Safety from criminals stealing cables.

At 250W that's about 3kWh a day or R2 per light. For 10,000 lights it's R20,000 per day or R7.3m a year. Somehow I think we have more pressing matters to save up for than a few stolen cables.

 

[Gordon_R]

At 250W that's about 3kWh a day or R2 per light. For 10,000 lights it's R20,000 per day or R7.3m a year. Somehow I think we have more pressing matters to save up for than a few stolen cables.

Lights in our suburb are 30m apart, so 10,000 lights would equal 300km of road/cables. Do you have any idea how much it costs to trench, fill and reconnect underground wiring!? Leaving the lights on during the daytime is a last resort (limited to high risk areas), when the cost of doing so exceeds the cost of frequent replacement.

 

[Swa]

Lights in our suburb are 30m apart, so 10,000 lights would equal 300km of road/cables. Do you have any idea how much it costs to trench, fill and reconnect underground wiring!? Leaving the lights on during the daytime is a last resort (limited to high risk areas), when the cost of doing so exceeds the cost of frequent replacement.

My 10,000 is probably an underestimate. Most of these lights are on during the day because they either don't care or the system is faulty. I doubt there's a saving in the long run.