A Message from the Government

The SLSC is supported by the Australian Commonwealth, State and Territory governments and New Zealand government, through the Equipment Energy Efficiency (E3) Program.

The joint Australia-New Zealand E3 program undertakes a range of activities to improve the energy efficiency of appliances and equipment sold in Australia and New Zealand. Lighting (including street lighting) is a key priority and focus of the Program. We welcome the initiative taken by IPWEA to establish the SLSC to bring industry and government together to accelerate the adoption of modern street lighting technologies and practices in Australia.

LED street lighting is now well-recognised as being capable of increasing energy efficiency by more than 50% and reducing maintenance costs by more than 50%, and this has justifiably attracted significant policy focus. Provision of improved street lighting infrastructure also addresses other important government policy priorities including enhancing road safety, improving value for money, improving environmental sustainability, reducing street crime and increasing community liveability.

Street lighting activities undertaken by the E3 Program include:

The SLSC Roadmap (supported by Government) provides an update and builds upon the Street Lighting Strategy.

The E3 Program is an important component of the National Energy Productivity Plan (NEPP), which was agreed by Energy Ministers on 4 December 2015. A graphic about the NEPP is presented below. The SLSC is being reported as a measure in the NEPP, and is expected to significantly improve energy productivity for local government.


The National Energy Productivity Plan (the Plan) has progressed rapidly, with Australia on its way to meeting its 40 per cent National Energy Productivity Target. By supporting smarter energy choices and better energy services, the Plan is ensuring that Australians get more value from the energy we consume.

The Plan is also making an important contribution to Australia’s climate goals. It is expected to contribute more than a quarter of the savings required to meet Australia’s 2030 greenhouse gas emissions reduction target.

The SLSC also supports a range of initiatives under the Government’s smart cities agenda.


Street Lighting Strategy

The Street Lighting Strategy was developed to address the requirement of the Council of Australian Governments (COAG) National Strategy on Energy Efficiency (NSEE) related to increasing the energy efficiency of street lighting. The draft Strategy identifies a targeted group of priority actions that can significantly alter energy use and greenhouse emissions from the provision of street lighting. The E3 committee has since taken action on several of these key areas (referred below).


Energy efficiency requirements for road lighting designs and luminaires

The aim of this study was to conduct an assessment of existing international methodologies, standards and guidelines for establishing energy efficiency requirements for streetlights, and related performance requirements for lighting installations for various classes of roads and identify options that may be suitable for application in Australia and New Zealand, particularly within the context of AS/NZS 1158.

The study recommends a threefold approach to achieve energy efficiency for road lighting:

  1. minimum energy performance standards for luminaires;
  2. normative disclosure of a road design energy efficiency classification scale; and
  3. voluntary selection (from tendered design options) of a preferred solution by the procuring agency.

The study was submitted to Standards Committee LG-002 Lighting for Roads and Public Spaces, and considered as part of the review of AS/NZS 1158. SA/SNZ TS 1158.6 - Lighting for roads and public spaces - Luminaires – Performance, published on 14 October 2015, includes a minimum luminaire efficacy performance rating for road lighting based on this advice.


Review of Road Lighting Design Classification System

Following on from the report ‘Energy efficiency requirements for road lighting designs and luminaires’ the E3 committee commissioned a further study into the concept of a Road Lighting Design Classification System.

The study took data from a representative sample of 89 Australian and New Zealand Road Lighting Designs and applied the proposed classification system to assess and rate the designs.

The review found:

  • the proposed lighting design rating methodology provides a useful comparative metric.
  • a wide variation in the energy performance of the road designs evaluated, with the highest rated V Category design exhibiting ten times the energy performance of the lowest. In P Category designs the spread was even wider, with the highest being 27 times the lowest.
  • while LED technology was dominant at the higher performance levels, some road lighting designs employing LED delivered low performance outcomes, demonstrating that achieving efficient street lighting solutions is about a combination of both product selection and good design.

The review recommended some modifications to the proposed design classification method to align with recent changes in international standards. This review has now been submitted to Standards Committee LG-002 Lighting for Roads and Public Spaces for consideration in relation to their review of AS/NZS 1158.


Street light asset values in the National Electricity Market (NEM) and Western Australia

Marsden Jacob Associates (Marsden Jacob) was engaged by the South Australian Department of State Development on behalf of the E3 Committee to examine a number of market and regulation related street lighting issues. Specifically, processes used to establish street light asset values in the National Electricity Market (NEM) and Western Australia, wider issues related to the regulation of the assets and the market for street lighting services, and possible amendments to the Rules which may be required to effectively facilitate customer choice in this area.

Emissions Reduction Fund

The Australian Government's $2.55 billion Emissions Reduction Fund provides incentives for emissions reduction activities across the economy including lighting upgrades in public areas such as pedestrian, street and traffic lighting. The Commercial and Public Lighting method supports projects that improve performance of existing lighting systems, for example, by replacing old mercury vapour lamps with new highly efficient technologies such as LEDs. Further information about the Fund is available on the Clean Energy Regulator's website.

Equipment Energy Efficiency