Council energy savings?

[Windmill]

Does anyone (preferably independent) oversee Council spending on
supposedly-green projects?

Their solar powered bus shelter lights were virtually useless in an
Edinburgh winter (when you need them), but must have cost a great deal.

Their LED streetlights may for all I know be cost-effective, but
they're not very bright and sacrifice a warm colour in the name of
greater efficiency. Of course that might change with newer technology.

There are plans for solar panels on school roofs, and if free energy
can be obtained in useful quantities at low cost, then why not.
But do the figures make any kind of sense at current prices?

I get the impression that someone with little technical knowledge sees
(for example) an LED garden light, thinks it's wonderful, and is then
misled by eager salesmen.

[Geoff Pearson]

"Windmill" wrote in message news:***@way.freeola.net...

Does anyone (preferably independent) oversee Council spending on
supposedly-green projects?

Their solar powered bus shelter lights were virtually useless in an
Edinburgh winter (when you need them), but must have cost a great deal.

Their LED streetlights may for all I know be cost-effective, but
they're not very bright and sacrifice a warm colour in the name of
greater efficiency. Of course that might change with newer technology.

There are plans for solar panels on school roofs, and if free energy
can be obtained in useful quantities at low cost, then why not.
But do the figures make any kind of sense at current prices?

I get the impression that someone with little technical knowledge sees
(for example) an LED garden light, thinks it's wonderful, and is then
misled by eager salesmen.

[Windmill]

Post by Windmill
Does anyone (preferably independent) oversee Council spending on
supposedly-green projects?
Their solar powered bus shelter lights were virtually useless in an
Edinburgh winter (when you need them), but must have cost a great deal.
Their LED streetlights may for all I know be cost-effective, but
they're not very bright and sacrifice a warm colour in the name of
greater efficiency. Of course that might change with newer technology.
There are plans for solar panels on school roofs, and if free energy
can be obtained in useful quantities at low cost, then why not.
But do the figures make any kind of sense at current prices?
I get the impression that someone with little technical knowledge sees
(for example) an LED garden light, thinks it's wonderful, and is then
misled by eager salesmen.
--
All that is gold does not glister / Not all who wander are lost
The new streetlights have 5 settings and the default is 2. If you ask the
council or get your community council they can put them up to 4 - it is
happening all over the city.

Thank you for that information. I'd guess it's a trade-off between lamp
life (shortened by the higher temperatures which higher
current/brightness would cause) and citizen (in)tolerance.

Rumour has it that more efficient LEDs are in the pipeline.

Maybe they should have fobbed off the salesmen for a few years longer.

[Julian Bradfield]

Post by Windmill
Their LED streetlights may for all I know be cost-effective, but

They cost quite a bit, so it takes several years for them to recover
the cost of installation. In the long run they reduce energy
consumption on lighting by about 35% (based on experience so far that
I can find) or 85% (based on manufacturers' hype).

Post by Windmill
they're not very bright and sacrifice a warm colour in the name of

I.e. they're much more like moonlight than glaring orange, which is a
win for many people.

There are important questions about how much blue has how much effect
on wildlife, but purely aesthetically, give me moonlight over sodium
orange any day and any where.

[Windmill]

Post by Julian Bradfield

Post by Windmill
Their LED streetlights may for all I know be cost-effective, but

They cost quite a bit, so it takes several years for them to recover
the cost of installation. In the long run they reduce energy
consumption on lighting by about 35% (based on experience so far that
I can find) or 85% (based on manufacturers' hype).

Post by Windmill
they're not very bright and sacrifice a warm colour in the name of

I.e. they're much more like moonlight than glaring orange, which is a
win for many people.
There are important questions about how much blue has how much effect
on wildlife, but purely aesthetically, give me moonlight over sodium
orange any day and any where.

I agree about 'sodium orange', the colour you get if you sprinkle salt
into a gas flame, but there aren't/weren't many of those lamps left in
Edinburgh. There were a good number of the high pressure sodium lamps,
but for my taste their slightly orange colour was pleasantly warm.

[Graeme Dods]

Post by Windmill
Does anyone (preferably independent) oversee Council spending on
supposedly-green projects?
Their solar powered bus shelter lights were virtually useless in an
Edinburgh winter (when you need them), but must have cost a great deal.
Their LED streetlights may for all I know be cost-effective, but
they're not very bright and sacrifice a warm colour in the name of
greater efficiency. Of course that might change with newer technology.
There are plans for solar panels on school roofs, and if free energy
can be obtained in useful quantities at low cost, then why not.
But do the figures make any kind of sense at current prices?
I get the impression that someone with little technical knowledge sees
(for example) an LED garden light, thinks it's wonderful, and is then
misled by eager salesmen.

A council (a long way from Edinburgh) customer of mine wanted to show how green they were by installing solar panels on the roof and a large plasma display which showed just how much energy the panels were generating. It was rare that the panels generated enough to offset the power required by the display.

Graeme

[Windmill]

Post by Windmill
Does anyone (preferably independent) oversee Council spending on
supposedly-green projects?
=20
Their solar powered bus shelter lights were virtually useless in an
Edinburgh winter (when you need them), but must have cost a great deal.
=20
Their LED streetlights may for all I know be cost-effective, but
they're not very bright and sacrifice a warm colour in the name of
greater efficiency. Of course that might change with newer technology.
=20
There are plans for solar panels on school roofs, and if free energy
can be obtained in useful quantities at low cost, then why not.
But do the figures make any kind of sense at current prices?
=20
I get the impression that someone with little technical knowledge sees
(for example) an LED garden light, thinks it's wonderful, and is then
misled by eager salesmen.

A council (a long way from Edinburgh) customer of mine wanted to show how g=
reen they were by installing solar panels on the roof and a large plasma di=
splay which showed just how much energy the panels were generating. It was =
rare that the panels generated enough to offset the power required by the d=
isplay.

Alas I'm unsurprised.