Saigon to go green with $58 mln public lighting plan

Saigon’s Department of Transport has sent a proposal to the municipal People’s Committee asking for energy-saving lights to be installed around the city.

The department suggested the city should spend VND1.3 trillion ($58.4 million) on LED lamps to replace the network of high-pressure sodium lamps from 2016-2020.

The plan looks to save the city VND88 billion from its annual bill of VND130 billion for the current lighting system. It will also cut 31 tons of CO2 emissions each year, according to the city’s Center of Energy Conservation.

The proposal is a part of a blueprint to use energy economically and efficiently in the city. Accordingly, the city will try to reduce at least 10 percent of energy used for public services like street lighting or public transport.

At present, the city has about 1,200 LED lamps that have replaced the old ones on streets in districts 1 and 10.

Energy experts say that LED lamps use 50-60 percent less electricity than other lights and have become common in many developed countries.