DUBLIN CITY COUNCIL has begun work on upgrading the city’s over 40,000 public lights to make them more energy efficient – a project which will take around eight years to complete.

The work is being carried out in partnership with Le Chéile Lighting Specialists.

It’s described as one of the city council’s key efforts in realising its “energy reduction and climate action goals”.

The completed project will achieve a 50% energy reduction from the baseline, resulting in a saving of 2,500 tonnes in CO2 annually.

Once completed, the city’s 47,000 public lighting lanterns will use LED technology and be monitored, managed, and controlled by a computerised system known as a central management system.

The Public Lighting Upgrade Project will see the replacement of 40,000 lightbulbs with energy efficient LED equivalents, as well as replacing up to 4,000 lighting columns.

Lord Mayor of Dublin, Caroline Conroy, with Noel O’Rourke, Le Chéile Lighting Specialists, preparing to change a street light on Molesworth Street. Damien Eagers Photography Damien Eagers Photography

A spokesperson added that “significant amounts of public lighting legacy cabling, including ducting” will also be replaced.

The project will involve works on functional, heritage and contemporary lighting installations across a wide range of lighting infrastructure in different areas of Dublin City.

This includes lighting on City Council and ESB Network assets, as well as lighting on bridges, City Council housing complexes, parks, villages, masts, and lighting along the canals.