Georgetown, May 12th, 2016: The Guyana Energy Agency (GEA), in an effort to gain a deeper understanding of the different energy efficient street lighting technologies, replaced 37 high pressure sodium vapour (HPSV) street lamps rated at 250 watts each along the Timehri Highway, between Bounty Farm and the Timehri Police Outpost, with 37 energy efficient Induction Lamps rated at 120 watts each along with a timer control relay to switch lamps ON at nights and OFF during the day.

As part of the information gathering and feedback process GEA paid a visit to the community to get the views of residents on the lighting technology:

According to Aktar Shaw “These lights (Induction Street Lamps) are better than the red ones (HSPV)…I feel safer with this one. I no longer worry about my vehicle which I park on the bridge. The red ones were not as effective. While Angelina Richmond felt that ““The energy saving lights are far better….it allows you to see better and you feel safer especially when going to Church and returning home at nights. The brightness allows the children to play in the yard on weekends after the sun goes down and have fun”. Nalini Sukhlal, who operates a vegetable stall along the high way, was happy about the new lights and said she much prefers it as “……I come out at 3 PM and sell up to 7 PM, so it gives me a sense of security. This one is much brighter than the red one it…it is very good for my business.” Mr. A. Khan the manager of Khan’s Sawmill said that “….these white lights are far better than the previous ones which were red. I feel far more secure with this one.”

Implemented at a total cost of G$2,102,064, the energy efficient lights will pay for themselves in about 1.09 years. Through the use of Induction street lamps (and the use of light emitting diode (LED) lamps), it is possible to significantly reduce costs associated with the provision of street lighting.

The information obtained from data gathering, and experience gained from the installation process, will be used to guide decisions with regards to street lighting. GEA will use the data gathered to compare the Induction Street Lamps with the Led Street Lights to determine which of the two technologies is best suited for use in Guyana.