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The world class Light Emitting Diode (LED) technology is being used to replace the existing inefficient incandescent and halogen light bulbs.
The savings made in electricity are expected to boost ailing service delivery.
Scores of residents joined the Acting Mayor, Councillor Amen Mpofu, on Wednesday night as he commissioned the new lighting system, which is being implemented in phases, along Main Street.
The project is a result of a partnership between the city of Bulawayo and the Zimbabwe Development Democracy Trust.
Explaining the cost saving benefits of the new system during the commissioning ceremony, the city’s principal electro mechanical engineer, Engineer Mente Rudolph Ndlovu, said each street lighting pole that has been fitted with the LED system would save 780 watts of power.
“Each pole used to consume 840 watts and this will be reduced to 60 watts. There are 33 poles along Main Street alone, imagine the total savings. With tower lights, power usage will go down from 4 400 watts to 520 watts per installation. The added advantage is that the LED system is far brighter and virtually free of maintenance costs. It will reduce our lighting bill by 90 percent,” said Eng Ndlovu.
According to a council report, the city has 88 intersections that are controlled by traffic lights, thousands of street lights and 443 tower lights.
In a speech read on his behalf by Clr Mpofu, the Mayor Councillor Thaba Moyo said LED technology represented efforts by modern society to move towards services that are more efficient, less costly and provide a lot of benefits in one small package.
“The LED lighting system places Bulawayo in the forefront of progressive thinking and management techniques as illustrated by the fact that this lighting system will save the council over 80 percent of the electricity previously used,” said Clr Moyo.
He said council, with the help of ratepayers, was striving to restore the city to its once legendary status as the best managed local authority in Africa.
“This provides the city with an opportunity to employ the latest technology, which maximises the use of every dollar from the ratepayer,” he said.
The mayor urged residents to protect the lights and other council infrastructure from vandalism.
Speaking after the event, Bulawayo’s senior public relations officer, Mrs Nesisa Mpofu, said other advantages of the LED system included little or no maintenance in the first 20 years, which meant staff could be utilised more efficiently in other work areas.
“It also has an easy-to-instal universal upgrade kit, superior luminance for greater safety, reduces traffic flow disruptions and has lower power consumption,” said Mrs Mpofu.
Online Reporter