As many of us know, low-maintenance lighting technologies are paving the way to installations that are expected to last 15 years or more. Once an installation is completed, there is indeed a degree of ongoing activities such as development work, Christmas decorations and maintenance, including electrical/ structural testing and cleaning. But in terms of core day-to-day activities, will the role of the lighting engineer within the council remain recognisable? With large-scale investment making it possible to tender and replace the whole lighting stock of a local authority within a matter of years, what will the street lighting department of a typical council look like once this is complete? One line of thought is that with the rapid improvement of LED efficacy, or even a new disruptive technology, LED lanterns being installed today will be replaced within a much shorter period than their design life. This could be the case if the products on the market in five years or so can offer lower energy or improved features that justify a business case for upgrade. It is difficult to draw parallels with previous lighting technologies, as while there have been leaps in efficacy and maintenance, only recent technologies have promised a maintenance-free solution for such a period of time.
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