14 May 2021
International Day of Light (IDOL) – a day used to celebrate the role light plays in science, culture and art, education, and sustainable development, and in medicine, communications, and energy fields is taking place on Sunday, 16 May 2021!
One of the goals of IDOL is to ‘Raise awareness that technologies and design can play an important role in the achievement of greater energy efficiency, in particular by limiting energy waste, and in the reduction of light pollution, which is key to the preservation of dark skies.’
Here on St Helena, much is being done to use light sustainably which will help us to achieve Dark Skies community status.
The Roads Section will this month replace 29 solar lights, installed on Market Street and Napoleon Street, with LED main type lights. These new lights were procured after consultation with the off-Island lighting consultant in an effort to have more effective streetlights, especially on the major roads in Jamestown.
The new lights have the same lumens as the original lights, have a wider reach than the solar lights, are Dark Skies compliant, and have a dimming feature to dim to 50% of brightness between midnight and 6am. The removed solar lights will be used to replace heavy energy consumption lights elsewhere on-Island.
In addition to this contract, two new poles – one at Fullers Flats and one at upper Cow Path, Half Tree Hollow – will be installed and equipped with solar lights. The light at the Cape Villa entrance will also be replaced.
Works will be carried out on weekends and are expected to be completed during the month of May. The public is welcome to provide feedback on the new lights when installed.
It is also proposed to amend the Customs (Export and Import Control) Regulations to make provision to prohibit the importation of non-compliant Dark Skies lighting, subject to certain exemptions for different purposes such as lighthouse and navigation lighting.
#StHelena #DarkSkies #LightDay2021 #Streetlights #AltogetherGreener
SHG
14 May 2021