The Toronto Atmospheric Fund (TAF) and the Canadian Urban Institute (CUI) announced that LightSavers, a consortium of municipalities and other partners that began in the Toronto region and has accelerated the use of energy-saving Light-Emitting Diode (LED) lighting and smart controls there, will expand nationally across Canada.
With support from Natural Resources Canada (NRCan), the CUI will lead LightSavers Canada which will help governments, public institutions, and private companies that own or manage lighting assets learn from each other about LED performance, procurement, and financing through a variety of activities and tools.
“Membership in LightSavers Canada is now open nationwide to towns, cities, regions, provinces, power providing utilities, and other public and corporate organizations that own and manage outdoor lighting assets,” says Fred Eisenberger, president of CUI. “Improving energy efficiency is one of the fastest, greenest and most cost-effective ways to meet energy needs, create jobs and increase energy security,” says the Honourable Joe Oliver, Minister of Natural Resources. “LED technology is evolving rapidly making this an excellent time to create a national network to share information about the environmental and cost benefits of LED lights for municipalities, towns and regions.”
TAF incubated LightSavers with support from NRCan and the Ontario Power Authority. Rigorous LightSavers trials in the Toronto region showed that LEDs combined with “adaptive” controls like motion sensors can cut energy use and costs by 50 to 70 per cent, enhance public safety, and reduce a city’s carbon footprint. “By testing claims and performance in Toronto, we’ve learned that LEDs provide superior quality lighting that makes it easier for both pedestrians and drivers to navigate streets and garages safely while also helping us meet our greenhouse gas reduction targets,” says Julia Langer, Executive Director of TAF.
NRCan support will enable LightSavers Canada to offer consortium members workshops, online training with guest experts, social networking, various tools to aid scale-up, and a national advanced lighting summit. Those wishing to join can visit www.lightsavers.ca and download a simple application. Participation requires a commitment to energy efficiency and quality lighting, a willingness to share information and experience, and interest in collaborating to develop practical procurement and financing tools.