LED street lighting as a strategy for climate change mitigation at local government level

In response to the environmental impact of climate change, greenhouse gas emission (GHG) reductions has become a common global goal. This has led to policies and measures to meet GHG reduction targets at country levels without much success. Therefore, the assessment of the effects of energy is important for the promotion of public policies at local levels that can lead to actions on GHG reductions. LED street lighting is more expensive than traditional luminaries and its use remains limited. This study analyzes the technical, economic, environmental and social impacts of LED street lighting in Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua, Mexico and proposes changes of the street lighting municipal regulation to promote and ensure the adoption of this technology. The results of the study show that by upgrading the street lighting to LED a 64% of energy savings is achieved, which represents an environmental impact on GHG emissions avoided to the atmosphere of 33,192 tons of equivalent carbon dioxide (tCO2e) per year. We propose that the monetary savings achieved using LED street lightning be used to improve the quality of life for population groups in areas of the city that are most at risk.