Climate Group Launches International LightSavers Program

16 Dec 2009

Demonstration projects in several cities around the world will evaluate LED lighting while promoting market uptake and encouraging LED-friendly policies and financing.

Nanming River daytime. By Jiexing.

Nanming River, Guiyang, China. By Hunhuntu.

LightSavers, an international program to evaluate the use of LED lighting and smart controls in outdoor spaces, has been launched by The Climate Group at the UN climate talks in Copenhagen, Denmark. The Group's (see press release) describes several other initiatives launched simultaneously.
LightSavers will test how LEDs and smart controls perform in real-world applications, while working with its members to plan for scale-up and to encourage LED-friendly policies and financing products.

The Climate Group says that LED lamps, combined with smart controls, can cut CO2 emissions by 50 to 70%. LED lighting also reduces costs, enhances public safety, minimizes light pollution and makes public spaces friendlier at night.

The program was started by the City of Toronto and the Toronto Atmospheric Fund, which is already running a series of local projects. LightSavers is funded generously by the HSBC Climate Partnership.

LightSavers has launched a global trial to test the efficacy and cost savings of outdoor LEDs in a series of cities, beginning with Adelaide, Guiyang, Hong Kong, Kolkata, London, Mumbai, New York, Tianjin and Toronto.