IPWEA's Street Lighting and Smart Control (SLSC) Programme is about to launch Model Specifications that will assist public lighting buyers, vendors, contractors, funders and advisors to efficiently and economically engage in procurement of LED lighting and control systems for public lighting. 

The need for a Model LED Public Lighting Specification and a Model Public Lighting Controls Specification was first recognised in IPWEA’s 2016 stakeholder consultations during the establishment of IPWEA’s SLSC programme. 

Stakeholders identified that there are currently a wide variety of approaches to specifications and procurement, which has led to impediments and inefficiencies. 

While some limited maturing of the LED market is currently taking place, buyers were, and remain, new and largely unfamiliar with lighting and control systems for public lighting. They therefore adapted procurement documents from a variety of local and international sources, often in an incoherent, inconsistent and internally contradictory manner. 

This resulted in procurement processes that were costly for suppliers to respond to, raised the risks of inappropriate or poorly performing outcomes for buyers, and often resulted in less than fit-for-purpose outcomes.

Overall, this inefficient process has impeded the timely uptake of LEDs and controls for public lighting despite the many demonstrated advantages they provide. A robust procurement model specification suite can address these issues, raise overall confidence levels, achieve efficiencies of tendering, apply best proactive standards, and instil a robust level of rigour in the tendering process, irrespective of the size or technical competency of the local government purchaser.

The objective of this model specification suite is to provide an informative structured template that is focused on the technical aspects for local governments, main road authorities and electricity distribution utilities to prepare their own customised specifications within a structured public tender either as a Request for Proposal (RFP), a Request for Quote (RFQ), or a Request for Tender (RFT). 

Used together, the Model Specifications will assist public lighting buyers, vendors, contractors, funders and advisors to efficiently and economically engage in procurement of LED lighting and control systems for public lighting. 

The Model Specifications provide outcome-based guidance which has been harmonised with both international and local standards and specification requirements for Public Lighting. They are configured to cover both Australian and New Zealand application under the AS and AS/NZS standards framework.

Once tailored to their own circumstances, a procuring entity can use the resulting specifications to select a suitable lighting and control system with confidence in the outcome.

The Model Specifications have been funded by the Australian Federal Government, Department of Environment and Energy, to improve energy, environmental, economic and social outcomes. 

The specification suite will be made available free-of-charge to SLSC supporters around mid-July with “How to Use” free webinars being held on 20th and 27th July. Note: these webinars are already 50% full.

Details are available through the SLSC portal, visit www.slsc.org.au.