An energy saving potential analysis of lighting retrofit scenarios in outdoor lighting systems: A case study for a university campus

Abstract

This study investigates the energy-saving potential and environmental effects of the whole outdoor lighting applications including the roads, footpaths and garden lights at Istiklal Campus of Burdur Mehmet Akif Ersoy University, Burdur, Turkey. 92% of the energy consumed for the outdoor lighting at the campus are used up by metal-halide lamps. Campus lighting is on automatically with the daylight sensor and operates for 10 h on average during the summer times and 13 h on average during the winter times. For this outdoor lighting system, energy-efficient lighting alternatives are investigated under four different scenarios. These scenarios are: shutting down some lamps 30 min after the education finishes at the campus; dimming for lamps; retrofitting the non-LED lights with effective LED lights and finally using the last two alternatives together. Next, potential energy-saving and the effects of this energy-saving on the environment are analyzed. According to the analysis results, a combination of retrofitting the lighting and dimming control systems are calculated to save 762 MWh electrical energy annually. With the reduced energy consumption, it is possible to cut down fossil fuels for electricity production and release 251 tons less carbon to the atmosphere annually. When the cost comparison is made for 12 years, it is predicted that about 1.3 million euros will be saved in the fourth scenario. Available traditional lighting systems in almost all of the cities in Turkey are inadequate in terms of energy efficiency. General lighting services constitute a significant part of the municipalities’ electricity costs in small cities. The scenarios proposed in this study can be applied by the municipalities on a city or neighborhood scale, taking into account criteria such as initial investment cost, energy savings, security, payback time and remote controllability & traceability.