A new report shows that 70% of cities in Southeast Asia have installed solar streetlights.
The Association of Southeast Asian Nations Energy Report 2024 notes that this saves money and supports clean energy, as TechBullion reported. It can also prevent crime, make roads safer, and boost nighttime economic activity.
Rising and volatile dirty energy prices affect electricity costs, and these 10 countries are working toward energy security and meeting carbon pollution reduction commitments.
The streetlights can have an especially profound impact in large cities such as Jakarta, Manila, and Bangkok. Ho Chi Minh City and Kuala Lumpur have also benefited.
"By using solar energy, cities no longer need grid power, reducing streetlight costs by 60-70%," TechBullion stated, pointing out that ASEAN said streetlights and other public lamps make up 20% to 30% of urban electricity demand.
Vietnam, Malaysia, and the Philippines have banked millions of dollars per year because of "large-scale solar streetlight projects," allowing more money to be spent on health care, education, and transportation infrastructure, per the outlet.
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One bonus is that the solar lights feature sensors that track movement to facilitate brightness adjustments and optimize efficiency. Another is that reducing light pollution — which has been increasing and affects 83% of the world's population — helps people sleep better and keeps ecosystems intact by protecting trees, preventing insect deaths, and making bird migration safer.
TechBullion said that the solar capacity of ASEAN has doubled over five years, per the International Renewable Energy Agency, and the ASEAN Plan of Action for Energy Cooperation has set a goal for the countries to use 23% renewable energy this year. Thailand, Indonesia, and Cambodia are "actively promot[ing]" these solar streetlights as part of the movement.
Many ASEAN countries experience extreme weather events that knock out power. Aging infrastructure and growing populations that contribute to energy shortages aren't helping.
But subsidies, tax incentives, and public-private partnerships are. "These fiscal policies have accelerated the adoption of solar streetlights, making them an economically viable solution for cities," TechBullion reported.
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