In 2000, at the initiative of the Lutsk City Executive Committee, the city electrical engineering enterprise developed a business plan for energy-saving modernization of street lighting. The total project amount is UAH 3.5 million. The payback period is about 2 years. The project was supported by the State Committee for Energy Saving. Financing was envisaged from three sources – the state budget, the local budget, and at the expense of attracted funds from enterprises and organizations. The Lutsk electrical engineering enterprise established close ties with the Ukrainian-Belgian enterprise “Vatra – Schroder,” which manufactures modern luminaires whose use creates a much more efficient luminous flux of sodium lamps from General Electric and Philips. These lamps can last about 5 years. Implementing the energy-saving program over the past two years, about 2.5 thousand luminaires have been replaced. Thanks to the implementation of the project, it was possible to achieve savings in electricity payment costs within UAH 0.5 million annually. To fully complete the street lighting project in terms of energy-saving modernization, another UAH 2 million is needed (however – according to calculations based on 2000 prices). However, the matter is not only limited financing, but also the relatively long timelines for completing the project.
The Cabinet of Ministers resolution “On payment for electricity for lighting enterprises” allowed the local authorities to somewhat revise their intentions in the city lighting concept. The said resolution provides for preferential tariffs for municipal external lighting enterprises – 5 kopecks per kW instead of 30 kopecks. Therefore, it was decided to temporarily suspend work on lighting Lutsk in the direction of energy saving and to improve the lighting of the city outskirts in a much shorter time. Although this will not give the economic effect that the use of energy-saving technologies would provide, it will cost 6 times less. In addition, it will allow solving the problem of lighting the outskirts in half a year.
In view of this, the Lutsk electrical engineering enterprise developed the municipal program “Light – to Every Street and Lane.” It included almost 350 streets, where it is planned to install about 3.5 thousand lamps worth UAH 250 thousand. It also turned out that to light 10 streets it is first necessary to build lighting lines there, which will additionally cost about UAH 100 thousand. In order to make payments at the preferential tariff, it is also necessary to purchase and install special equipment – a two-zone meter worth UAH 250 thousand. The total cost of the program is UAH 600 thousand (the amount was calculated based on minimum expenses). The project will be financed from the local budget. Completion date – October 1, 2005.
It is worth noting that in parallel with the implementation of the outskirts lighting program, the energy-saving modernization of street lighting will also continue. However, at a somewhat slower pace, due to limited financing.