There’s no disputing that LED lighting and smart controls can save rate payers hundreds of thousands of dollars. What’s not so clear is how cash-strapped councils can go about rolling out this game-changing technology.
That’s all about to change. The Third International Street Lighting and Smart Controls Conference will demonstrate how Australia and New Zealand can achieve these economic and environmental savings, while at the same time boosting community safety, reducing road incidents and improving the liveability of our cities and towns.
Announcing the 3rd International Street Lighting and Smart Controls Conference at the Sustainability in Public Works conference dinner last night, IPWEA Australasia CEO Robert Fuller said Australia is already falling behind overseas countries who are rapidly increasing their adoption of LED lighting and smart controls.
“Even bankrupt cities like Detroit are making mass conversions to LEDs for road and public lighting to save money, as are 100 cities in India and many others in less affluent countries,” he said.
“The business case is compelling for changing over to LEDs. Yet Australia has less than 10% of its lights converted.”
The International Street Lighting and Smart Controls (SLSC) conference will be held 15-17 March 2017 in Brisbane.
Top international experts who have been researching and managing millions of LED lights in Europe and the USA for more than six years, will give Australian and New Zealand decision and policy makers the benefit of their learning and experience.
Several hundred delegates from Australia and New Zealand are expected to attend what will be the largest and most strategically focused event on street lighting and smart controls that has ever been presented in Australia. It will have significant impact for both public and private sectors.
The 3rd International Street Lighting and Smart Controls brings the award winning Strategic Lighting Partners conference format held in New Zealand in 2014 and 2015 to Australia for the first time.
Fuller said the conference will go hand-in-hand with IPWEA’s Street Lighting and Smart Controls Programme (SLSC).
“The Prime Minister has called for Australia to adopt the principles of Smart Cities – IPWEA’s SLSC Programme is the backbone initiative that will make smart cities a reality in Australia. It carries the DNA of smart cities,” he said.
IPWEA launched the SLSC Programme this year with the full backing of the Australian Government, major industry leaders and peak industry organisations. This powerhouse of united common purpose will see consistency across Australia and increase the deployment of LED lighting and smart controls.
A Roadmap for taking the SLSC industry forward has been prepared by IPWEA and is currently being reviewed by the Government and industry before being publicly released later this year.
This major body of research will be supplemented by a model LED lighting specification, a model smart controls specification, a policy reform paper and a business case funding template to help local government and the private sector to reap the benefits of switching to LEDs and smart controls.