Bright Light – Big City

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We all are asked to save energy in any way possible. Do not use your car, when you don’t really need it. And change the bulbs in your home to energy saving ones!
As important as it is for everyone to contribute his or her part to the challenge, this is just that – a partly solution.

The energy saving light bulbs are, after they have burnt out, special waste. Where is in your town the collecting points for this kind of garbage? In some towns recycling yards exist, where the citizens can get rid of such waste. In many cases, the recycling yards are so far away from the citizens, that the citizens have to drive their cars to get there. This is not the right way to save energy. Recycling points should be all over town. This would help the individual to save energy.

The problem is, that the private person is asked to save energy while the public sector, such as the municipalities are not contributing as much as they could. One way the municipalities are wasting energy are the Street Lights.

The task of the street lights is to grant the public safety on the streets. But as it is it seems that the municipalities are trying to turn the night into a artificial day, which is called Light Pollution.

Let’s assume that every 25 meters a street light pole stands, that would sum up to 40 poles every kilometer.  Some poles have two or even more lamps. In past Mercury-vapor lamps were used, now they are substituted by Sodium-vapor lamps. The power range of Low Pressure Sodium lamps range from 10W to 180 W. High Pressure Sodium lamps, as can be seen at the picture in the link, reach 600W.

The way for municipalities would be to put the street lights, not every 25 meter but every 30 meter. The saving would be considerable. Not only the electricity but also in resources. Instead of 40 street lights only 33! Without reducing the illumination of the streets in such a way that the safety of the car drivers or the pedestrians would be limited. Especially in the center of cities the distance of the street lights is not as important, since the lights of shop windows and advertisements are competing with the street lights.

Of course, in areas where there are no other light sources the street lights can be stay closer. This example is also an aspect of Inherent Energy in every city! To save energy is not just the task of every citizen but of every one, also of the public sector.