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New, efficient lighting using the Lighting for 1 CZK service
“The existing system of discharge lamps with sodium sources has been a thorn in our side for a long time, both because of its age and expensive operation. Although the lamps illuminate the required area, they additionally also unnecessarily illuminate all its surroundings, including the bedroom windows of local residents. On the other hand, their luminosity is low, so they distort colors, which is particularly dangerous for late-night pedestrians. With the considerable environmental burden resulting from the lamps producing excessive light pollution and their contribution to the excessive production of greenhouse gases through the unnecessary consumption of electricity, there was nothing more to think about. I mean, only the question of financing the lighting replacement,” says František Moravec, mayor of Staré Křečany.
“Staré Křečany used our Lighting for 1 CZK service. In practice, this means that municipalities do not buy lamps, but rent them. Thus, they do not have to activate their investment budget to replace the lighting. The replacement and servicing will then be fully provided by their supplier, ČEZ ESCO, for ten years, after which they will become the property of the municipality. They will therefore pay neither for the operation nor for any repairs for ten years. The lease of the lamps is paid for from the savings brought about by replacing the old street lights with new lighting,” explains René Krečmer, Head of the Lighting Department of ČEZ Energetické služby.
According to the mayor, the number one priority this year and the largest investment project in the municipality is the ongoing reconstruction of the former municipal office building, which will house eighteen new apartments. The municipal public address system will also be completely reconstructed, and the collection yard is nearing completion. During the summer, bus terminals will be constructed at the institute in Brtnice, and the primary school will also receive barrier-free construction. There is still uncertainty surrounding other investment projects, as it is not yet known whether state subsidies will be obtained for them.
“The municipal treasury is not bottomless and the above-mentioned actions will drain most of the funds from this year's budget. That is why we welcomed ČEZ ESCO's offer, which was a chance for us to spread the funds so that we actually save them and additionally pay for the installation and technology of the new lamps. So far, we have mainly focused on the municipalities under our jurisdiction. In Staré Křečany, the replacement not only affected the vicinity of the village square. We are pleased that the new modern LED lamps, at a time of lower traffic and pedestrian traffic on the roads at night, also allow us to reduce the lighting intensity to 50 percent of the original power input, and thus significantly further reduce electricity consumption. This also significantly saves our municipal funds,” adds Mayor Moravec.
According to the cadastral map, Staré Křečany occupies a relatively large area, as it also includes Valdek, Nové Křečany, Panský, Brtníky, and Kopec. Globally speaking, a total of 700 to 800 old lamps were located here. Half of them have currently been replaced by new ones. “In total, we have replaced 442 lamps and 11 switchboards using existing support points. The original consumption was 183 MWh per year, the new consumption is calculated at 40 MWh. The municipality will thus save 78 percent of the original costs of operating discharge lamps, without any initial investment,” concludes Petr Šebesta, Head of the Lighting Implementation Sector of ČEZ Energetické služby.