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Street Lighting

Toronto Hydro's Climate Action Plan goes before Executive Ctte next week.

It includes this option for the City, in regards to streetlighting, pending shareholder (City) direction:

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From: https://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/mmis/2021/ex/bgrd/backgroundfile-173881.pdf
 
From 2010...

Vatican City Crowned the ‘Greenest State In the World’​

See link.

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...the Vatican was spending $660 million on a massive 100MW photovoltaic installation that would effectively be Europe’s largest solar power plant. Now complete and in operation, the installation of this array has not only made Vatican City the first solar powered nation state in the world, but according to the state’s official newspaper, it is now the greenest state in the world.
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The newspaperOsservatore Romano reported that with the completion of the giant solar panels in the state, “the Vatican has reached a small record in solar energy power production per capita: 200 watts at peak times [… ]per inhabitant, compared to 80 in Germany, the world leader in this field.”

As Vatican City is the smallest state in the world, it does not exactly require a large amount of renewable energy to achieve this title. However, the city’s solar installations, which include solar panels installed on the rooftop of Paul VI’s conference hall, mean that the city can now generate enough energy to power all of its 40,000 households.

The main solar array is located on a 740 acre site near Santa Maria di Galeria, but the solar panels that were installed on Paul VI’s conference hall were put in two years ago and are estimated to have saved the Vatican 89.84 tons in oil.
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But solar power is not the only thing the Vatican is doing to make the state as green as possible. There are rumors that Vatican officials are researching a more environmentally friendly equivalent to the Pope’s world famous vehicle – The Pope-Mobile. It is hoped that an electric vehicle can be found to substitute the iconic motor vehicle that is used by the Pope when visiting foreign states or making outdoor public appearances.

The Vatican cafeteria is also planning on installing a solar heating system that will be able to provide heating and cooling for staff. It is even noted that the Pope’s summer residence is being outfitted to harness the methane generated by the horse stables!
Clearly His Holiness believes in reducing his city’s greenhouse gas emissions – something that makes you wonder why other world leaders are not as concerned.
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Installed capacity is different than generated output. The chart further down that page shows gas/oil generated about 7% for 2020, and this chart for the first ten months of 2021 shows the per-month output (assuming TWh). Gas/oil is used for peaking since they can respond faster to demand than nuclear (which can't surge and is base output) and hydro, which is slower because of watershed impact considerations. Note their output for February and June/July/August.

 
A motion on pedestrian-scale streetlights passed at Council today, with amendments:

First, a look back at what came out of Infrastructure and Environment Ctte so as to better understand the amendments:

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Now what happened at Council:

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and

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***

Way to go on this one to KWT!
 
DSC said:
Spot on Mr Northern Light - I must confess the list of those in St Lawrence and in her motion was actually compiled by me for Wong-Tam's office :->
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I had a feeling, LOL
 
I've noticed that the residential side streets in the historic Home Smith neighbourhood around Royal York and Bloor all have new LED lamps now, and I dare say that I think they're way too bright...
 
Towered said:
I've noticed that the residential side streets in the historic Home Smith neighbourhood around Royal York and Bloor all have new LED lamps now, and I dare say that I think they're way too bright...
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Photos please! (with them lit).
 
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DSC said:
Spot on Mr Northern Light - I must confess the list of those in St Lawrence and in her motion was actually compiled by me for Wong-Tam's office :->
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Damn 😂
Not to be rude or anything... but what value do these luminaires have, aside from the Victorians? They seem pretty cheap, whereas the Victorians are authentic and elegant. Also, while I was impressed with the detailed list I'm still disappointed that there wasn't any reference to roadway lighting, the Streetscape Manual, the signature 'Olivio' Waterfront Toronto Light, or an attempt to have a comprehensive rethink of lighting standards in Toronto. Also, I was hoping that they would do away with the cobra heads and also redesign the acorns.

PS Thanks for the explanation, @Northern Light
 
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daniel_kryz said:
Damn 😂
Not to be rude or anything... but what value do these luminaires have, aside from the Victorians? They seem pretty cheap, whereas the Victorians are authentic and elegant. Also, while I was impressed with the detailed list I'm still disappointed that there wasn't any reference to roadway lighting, the Streetscape Manual, the luminaires used in other parts of the city, or an attempt to have a comprehensive rethink of lighting standards in Toronto. Also, I was hoping that they would do away with the cobra heads and also redesign the acorns.

PS Thank you, @Northern Light
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Though the motion on street lighting last week concentrated on pedestrian lighting, note that the original motion that this sprang from DID ask Staff about ALL lighting:

Shining a Light on Toronto Hydro by Updating Street Lighting Options​

Committee Decision​
The Infrastructure and Environment Committee:

1. Requested the General Manager, Transportation Services to report back to the October 26, 2021 Infrastructure and Environment Committee meeting with details on the current agreement with Toronto Hydro, including information on the current status of the agreement, when it expires or is up for renewal, and options for adding new lighting standards to the list of those approved for use and installation by Toronto Hydro.

2. Requested the General Manager, Transportation Services to include in the report requested in Part 1 above, the policy for adding and replacing pedestrian-scale lighting where the sidewalks are dark at night and require additional lighting.​

Of course,, the Staff Report really did not answer these questions but the committee is clearly aware of the issues and will, I am told, be following up.

The list in the most recent motion from KWT was St Lawrence specific and was not intended to list the MANY other lighting styles found all over the City and KWT was concentrating on pedestrian lighting so it is about lower level poles and luminaires. Of these, the 'gold standard are the metal "Victorians" that are on Front Street (for example); though Hydro refused to tell us what they cost, they are clearly far more expensive then the concrete or metal pole short fixtures that one sees in the blocks south of The Esplanade. (Apart from anything else, they now install them on deep concrete foundations, the simpler metal or concrete 'poles' are really just 'planted' in the earth.) Whether the 'Victorians' are 'authentic and elegant' I am not so sure but they look fine to me! You can certainly argue that the other short-pole lights with the more 'artistic' luminaires are not 'heritage' but they are more 'pedestrian friendly' than tall-pole lights and, in my opinion look 'ok' considering they are fairly cheap (as far as we know) to buy and install.

Of course, there will always need to be tall-pole lights and the Acorns (which have been a Toronto standard for decades) ARE being replaced because, apparently, are no longer being made. (Don't ask me why.) THSL have been working on a new 'palette' of street lighting that meets 2021 (or 2022?) standards, are readily available and cost effective. This all sounds great except they have been working on this since at least 2015 when I first got involved and they are only still (as of our last, pre-covid meeting) looking at tall pole lights. (My initial involvement in street lighting was about 10 years ago when the Heritage Lighting Report on St Lawrence was being prepared as Pam McConnell (then our Councillor) set up an informal group with THSL to look at all streetlighting in St Lawrence, this was continued by KWT and Cressy's Office is now also involved.) One thing was quite clear, there are currently far too many streetlight designs in the City and THSL cannot maintain a supply of spare parts for all of them. How many styles are 'enough'? Who knows but ........

See: http://www.stlawrencemarketbia.ca/i...Lighting Master Plan for Old Town Toronto.pdf
 
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