Paying to keep the lights on

[astroron]

He , should be paying to keep the lights off:mad2:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/magazine/7764911.stm
Ron

[leon]

Good point Ron, maybe we could approach the council and suggest that if we paid a little more in rates all the lights would be turned off after midnight. :whistle:

Leon :thumbsup:

[xelasnave]

Turning off lights may be a better option to the carbon problem they say we have rather than another tax

alex

[AstralTraveller]

So, why do folk want lights on at night????

[Glenhuon]

Agreed Alex. The amount of wasted energy keeping so called security and decorative lights on is huge. There is an alternative view that says security lights only help the thieves to see better whats there to steal.
All the external lights here are solar powered from little panels on the roof, with 7 amp/hour SLA's and switch on and off automatically. All LED's so not too bright, but enough to navigate around the patio at night, and light the second toilet in the laundry. Cost to install them was minimal, ~$300 for the lot. We even run a small stereo system off the same setup, so got radio, cd or tape if we want it. Who needs a 50 or 100W spotlight, we should enjoy the dark. Give us back the night I say :)

Bill

[glenc]

"POWER company EnergyAustralia wants to increase the fee of supplying street lighting by 64 per cent, raising the ire of Pittwater Council, which wants the supplier’s monopoly investigated..."
http://manly-daily.whereilive.com.au/news/story/street-light-cost-increase-unregulated/

[TrevorW]

to power one streetlight it produces 125kg of greenhouse gases each year, 300000 tonnes of greenhouse gases could be stopped if they turned the streetlights off at 12:00 like they used too. Carbon TAX is BS as far as I'm concerned just more revenue raising.

The government isn't being proactive in reducing greenhouse gases just reactive.

[xelasnave]

WOW that is flash Bill I have one 15 watt light and candles.
Two solar panels 200 amp hours of battery and a $150 genny that will charge (top up) the batteries in this wet weather on one litre of fuel... so I wonder why folk need so much to be happy...

alex

[Glenhuon]

Most of the electronic parts were home constructed Alex. The auto switches are a fairly simple circuit and the stereo is a salvaged 12v amplifier from an old computer and a CDROM drive, with a small walkman type radio tape/pluged in. The youngster can even plug in her MP3 player and "entertain" the neighbours :)
Turning off the street lights again at midnight would be an excellent move, but the revenue drive by the power companies isn't going to let it happen. My friend in WA had his observatory made unusable a few years ago by the SEC adding more lights to the street, was told the council asked for them, council denied this. He canvassed his neighbours and it was a surprise to all of them too, no one was consulted. So who did decide to install them ? Don't think he ever found out, and he's an ex MLA so probably got more contacts than most.

Bill

[xelasnave]

They sent a circular around here to get support to extend the grid...no one replied cause all have adjusted to solar and 12 vlt or 24 vlt systems.
I like the challenge of sortting out this stuff.
AND it is nice not to have an electricity bill every quarter.
I have an inverter to get 240vlt and I can even run most of my power tools off that...
One has to laugh really at the situation I cant see power companies wanting their supply in less demand ... I can imagine their management meetings brainstorming how to sell more.
Also in Sydney the folk who leave lights on all night are the norm it bugs me but what can you do.

alex

[GrahamL]

Street lights don't bug me as much as the external lighting of empty
buildings at night .. while not wanting to pick on architects to much ..
the need to completely light up the plants and drab concrete walls of every office block , light industry escapes me .. and theres no one to freakin see it !!.. on second thoughts its is the architects fault .. I believe lighting is an elective or a core subject in many courses.. and sheep will only do what the sheperd tells them to :)

[OneOfOne]

I am always amazed every time I drive through the city an night to see so many lights left on in buildings....even on weekends. Maybe someone should show them where the switch is! If buildings were heavily fined for leaving lights on (or increase the tariff to 10 times the daytime usage) I think that would make a bigger reduction in greenhouse gasses than many of the things individuals could do.

Where I work, I arrive around 7am every morning and am usually the person who unlocks for the day. Until I arrive, our complete building is in darkness with the exception of a couple of emergency exit lights.

[Ric]

Nothing out my way but the beautiful dark. I think the nearest street light is about 12km away in Bungendore.

[TrevorW]

spoilt