18 March 2022
Yunex Traffic technology to help reduce CO2 emissions across LCR
Retrofit Solutions
Delivering cost, energy and carbon savings
Traffic Signal Lamp Retrofit Programmes
Our LED retrofit solution provides an extremely cost-effective way to significantly reduce the ongoing cost of operating traffic signals, reduce energy consumption and future proof traffic signal equipment from future lamp obsolescence issues. Yunex Traffic can help: from design and deliver to install and maintain.
Unrivalled experience: we can support your upgrade journey
We have been involved in upgrade programmes for a number of Local Authorities across the UK, working closely at every stage of the process from design and delivery through to the installation and maintenance. Where required, we have also been able to provide support in identifying and securing the most appropriate funding sources, with interest-free Government finance available through the Salix scheme to help the public sector improve energy efficiency and make the efficiency gains of LED technology even more affordable.
Benefits at a glance:
- Reduce power and carbon footprint – Significantly reduced power and carbon footprint by up to 80% compared to incandescent signals.
- Reduce your maintenance costs – Significantly reduce your maintenance costs due to no bulk lamp changes and subsequently lessen disruption to the public.
- Retain you Helios signal optical performance – Robust Helios signal body and SIRA phantom lens.
- Lamp and red lamp monitoring compatible – Meets timing requirements of TR2210 and TR2250.
- Easy installation process:
Protects investment in existing installed infrastructure
Simple door replacement on Helios and Elite signals
Simple upgrade of lamp switch cards and firmware - Easily compatible:
ST700, ST750, ST800 and ST900 LV controllers
Yunex Traffic Helios signals and wait indicators
Peek Elite signals
Low energy traffic signals upgrade in London
We completed a retrofit upgrade of traffic signals for Transport for London (TfL), with the programme set to deliver energy and cost savings of over 75%, as well as significantly reducing the need to regular maintenance visits to replace and clean lamps.
We’re always striving to improve our network, be more efficient and safer, and replacing the traditional bulbs in signals with LEDs has made a real difference. It’s making our infrastructure greener, more sustainable and cheaper to run and not only that but as LEDs are more visible, it is making our roads safer.
Glynn Barton, Director of Network Management, Transport for London
At the heart of many Local Authority upgrade programmes is our LV and retrofit system, which incorporates LED central light source (CLS) technology. The system delivers low-power consumption, low maintenance and long-life performance, whilst offering improved visibility in all weather and lighting conditions.
Ambitious programme targets
Transport for Greater Manchester
Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) commissioned the largest and most ambitious traffic signalling upgrade programme ever undertaken in the UK, covering the replacement of a total of 52,000 traditional traffic signal bulbs with Helios LED aspects across more than 1,800 sites. Building on the success of this programme, further upgrade work took place, with traditional wait indicator lamps being replaced with LED lights at more than 500 traffic signalling sites.
East Sussex County Council
East Sussex County Council used a grant from the Salix Carbon Reduction fund together with internal energy reduction funding, to commission this work.
- 1,500 traditional halogen signal heads replaced with LED technology
- Traffic controllers modified to allow for lamp monitoring of the new LED aspects
- Contributing to more than 195 tonnes of carbon dioxide savings each year
Transport for London and East Sussex County Council:
In recent years, as part of an ongoing programme, Transport for London (TfL) has also replaced over 26,800 individual signal aspects and upgraded many pedestrian wait indicators with Helios Retrofit solutions.
Similarly, East Sussex County Council used a grant from the Salix Carbon Reduction fund together with internal energy reduction funding, to replace 1,500 signal heads across the country with new Yunex Traffic LED units.
Swindon Borough Council
Funded by Salix, the scheme covers a mix of 64 junctions and crossing sites with some 400 incandescent traffic lamps replaced with new Helios LED LV Optic LED units. The scheme is forecast to deliver:
- 78% reduction in CO2 (equating to 66 tonnes) per year
- £25,000 annual cost saving through reduced electricity consumption and maintenance savings
Cost efficient, sustainable solution
Combining low operating and maintenance costs together with significantly reduced energy consumption, our retrofit system provides a long-term, cost efficient and environmentally sound solution. Incorporating LED central light source (CLS) technology, the solution has formed the basis of many upgrade programmes, delivering:
- low power consumption (over 75% savings in carbon and energy)
- low maintenance
- long-life performance
- improved visibility in all weather and lighting conditions
- enables existing roadside infrastructure to be retained
The retrofit process is fast and efficient, with disruptive works kept to a minimum. Our experienced installation teams simply replace each existing signal head door and incandescent optical assembly with a new LED CLS door and then upgrade the system controller. This ensures that an Authority’s investment in the majority of its installed signal equipment is retained, minimising waste and disposal issues and so further enhancing the carbon savings achieved by the retrofit programme.
Ongoing retrofit programme with Transport for London
- Over 26,800 signal aspects replaced at more than 900 sites
- With our controllers across 300 sites, the programme is delivering annual energy and maintenance savings of over £300,000
As part of a rolling programme for TfL, at more than 900 sites we replaced over 26,800 individual aspects, together with many pedestrian wait indicators, with Helios technology.
Transport for Greater Manchester
52,000 incandescent signal bulbs were upgraded with Helios LED aspects across 1,800 sites, resulting in:
- an annual reduction in maintenance costs of c.£600,000
- monthly energy consumption reduced from 1,009MwHr to under 400MwHr
- around 30,000 standard bulbs saved per year due to longer life LED units
Building on the success of this programme, further upgrade work took place, with traditional wait indicator lamps being replaced with LED units at more than 500 sites. In the first two years after completion, the programme had saved over £1 million.
To date, the programme has saved over £1,000,000. Over the lifetime of the new lights, predicted savings are in excess of £5 million in electricity charges, £1.5 million of maintenance charges, and 37,000 tonnes of CO2. It will remove the need to replace over 400,000 lamps. The project is a leading example of collaborative working to successfully deliver a programme to directly improve sustainability in the highway environment.
David Bland, Highways Network Development, Transport for Greater Manchester
The complete solution – project payback
Although each project is unique and funded slightly differently, they have all benefitted from a reduced payback period thanks to cost-efficiencies both in the cost of the equipment and throughout the installation process.
Projects have also benefited from Salix Finance, which provides interest-free Government funding for public sector improvement initiatives that deliver energy efficiencies, carbon emission reductions and lower energy bills. Based on a five-year payback (eight years in Scotland) funding is available for up to 50% of the project value and for the traffic signal retrofit programmes, payback is calculated both on power and maintenance savings.
Working closely with you to identify and quantify the savings that a retrofit scheme will deliver, our consultancy team is able to offer guidance and support throughout the funding process, including the options of working with Salix and of developing a tailored, project-specific solution through our own Financial Services division, SFS.
Get in touch with our experts not to help guide you through the process of upgrading your traffic network to realise the operational, performance, environmental and cost benefits that come with our retrofit programmes.