Trafford has become one of the first local authorities in the country to install solar hybrid streetlights after five columns were installed on Woodbridge Road in Urmston.
Over 12 months, the new streetlights, which are supplied by Signify, will use 75% less energy than the LED streetlights which are the most used across the borough.
Solar panels are located around the neck of the hybrid columns to absorb sunlight which convert to electric power stored in a battery. It also contains a mains supply serving as a back-up when no natural light is available.
The installation comes as Trafford Council is looking towards more sustainable solutions to the borough’s infrastructure.
Peter Mullen, the Streetlighting Supervisor at the One Trafford Partnership, said:
“We conducted a nine-month trial in our depot with one of the solar hybrid street lights and it was really successful; it never skipped a beat.
“It is estimated that they will be able to run from natural sunlight entirely for nine months of each year so that is a huge impact. The installation went to plan, and it’s been absolutely fantastic to see the lights shining over Woodbridge Road.”
“We’re always looking for the latest method to improve the energy efficiency of our streetlights and, with that in mind, work has already started to trial a fully-solar streetlight that has a PRI sensor built into it. These only come on fully when someone is within 15 feet of it meaning a huge amount of energy is saved which, in turn, improves our carbon footprint.”
The Council made ‘addressing the climate change’ one of its three main priorities, and this installation of solar hybrid streetlights is just one of many forward-thinking initiatives the Council has led on since to rise to this challenge.
