Page 30 - Sphere No.25 (Aug 2009)

T H E N . . . A N D N O W
Let there
be Light
HONGKONG ELECTRIC has been maintaining street lamps in Hong Kong since 1890.
Before that, the city had to rely on gas lamps – four are still used on Duddell
Street, Central.
Then... At precisely 6 pm on the evening of 1 December in 1890, Hong Kong’s
first street lights were turned on in Des Voeux Road, Central. At the time, the
city was one of only a few places in Asia to have electric street lamps. They were
11 metres high with a hat-shaped lampshade and had to be switched on manually.
Now... With advanced technology, the designs have improved along with bulb
durability and energy efficiency. Today, street lights are controlled by a photo-electric
system which ensures that they are switched on and off according to a pre-deter-
mined luminous intensity. Hongkong Electric has always supported the application
of renewable energy and has installed eight solar photovoltaic (PV) street lights at
Lamma Power Station. Solar energy generated by PV panels is stored in batteries
during daytime and supports around eight hours’ operation at night.
28 SPHERE