Streetlights

Hi,

The local council are in the process of replacing the streetlights in my road.

I've got a couple of questions about what they are doing. I'm just curious.

The existing lights are fed by overhead cables slung from streetlight to streetlight but the new ones will be supplied by an underground cable. I would have thought it was cheaper and easier to use three single cables overhead as the existing ones than SWA buried.

If there is a good reason for the supply being underground why are they digging a trench the full length of each pavement, could each light not have a separate connection to the main cable that supplies the houses.

As I say I am sure there are good reasons but I am curious.

Probably because underground cables are less prone to damage from high winds, fallen trees, vandalism, high vehicles etc. It's the preferred way of doing things now so it seems even in my area, it also looks better too with less unsightly overhead cabling. Also if a vehicle collided with a street light that was fed via overhead cabling it could knock out a large section of lights for a period of time until the column could be replaced and new overhead wires strung up, being fed underground they can make the cable safe and reinstate the supply to the remaining lights fairly quickly and all at ground level too which is much safer for the workers. As for why they don't make a connection to the network for each light, its probably cheaper to lay their own cables as they will then only need to pay the power company to make a connection to one feeder pillar which will feed multiple street lights.

the timer or other control usually manages several lamps, on quite a small-section cable, and there will be a fuse near where it comes off the distribution network. It is an unmetered supply charged at a calculated or negotiated annual price intended to bear some relation to usage and time of day.

round me, they put in LED lamps with a high/low output, and initially set them to go low around midnight.

they now run them low all the time, and "off" after midnight.

the result is that street lighting is now very poor.

whats street lighting??? (havent got any out in the sticks where i live as you might guess, lovely)

Sureitsoff? said:

whats street lighting??? (havent got any out in the sticks where i live as you might guess, lovely)

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Norfolk, have you even got electricity?

Remember local councils are well known for wasting money. Don't expect them to use the cheapest option.

dannyboi2003 said:

Probably because underground cables are less prone to damage from high winds, fallen trees, vandalism, high vehicles etc.

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Not to mention annual fatalities and injuries.