AUSTRALIA’S LARGEST SMART SOLAR PUBLIC LIGHTING PROJECT COMPLETED AS THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE WALKING INCREASES
With more people walking and 31% of people walking more than usual during COVID, the Goulburn Mulwaree Council in New South Wales invests in a SMART solar public lighting project.
As part of a milestone project, Leadsun, one of the leader in solar public lighting industry, has installed 160 solar public lights along 10km of walkway and cycle paths in Goulburn. It is the largest public solar lighting project of its kind in Australia.
Matt Pollard, Leadsun Australia’s Managing Director, said Leadsun is a world leader in smart solar public lighting having designed and patented the first all-in-one LED solar light.
“The solar public lighting project in Goulburn started a year ago. Initially, there was the first stage which had 120 solar public lights over the first section of the pathway.” Mr. Pollard said.
“Since then, there’s been an extension to the pathway network. And there have been another 42 solar lights with a total of 160 lights all connect throughout the pathway. I believe that it is the largest solar public pathway lighting project in Australia.”
“The walkway in Goulburn was now safer and more accessible making it a well-used community asset,” Energy Minister and Federal Member for Hume Angus said, “I’m thrilled that installing solar lighting will extend the hours of use of the walkway.”
Daniel Strickland, member of Mission Australia’s Man Walk Group, said he has seen more people exercising before sunrise and at night when using the path weekly since the lights were installed.
“When we started in July last year before the lights we would come along with our phones and torches,” he said.
Compared with traditional electrical street lighting, smart solar public lighting is more cost-effective while it doesn’t require extensive trenching nor electrical wiring. Power can be stored in lithium-ion batteries for 3 days.
Now, the Goulburn Mulwaree Council is planning a further 1.5 kilometers extension to the smart solar public lighting project. This project was partly funded under the Federal Government Community Sports Infrastructure Program.
Mr. Pollard said more and more sporting clubs, walking groups, and residents were lobbying local governments to apply for grants to install solar lighting to improve access and safety.