Chennai Corporation has replaced the sodium vapour high-mast lamps at the Pantheon Road junction near the Police Commissioner's Office with the energy-efficient induction lamps.
Officials of the Corporation said the two sodium vapour lamps in each of the 12 fittings on the high mast have been replaced with one induction lamp on Friday.
The new lamps would provide the same level of illumination and were installed on a pilot basis.
The 10-kilowatt sodium vapour lamps have been replaced by 2.75-kilowatt induction lamps. It is expected to reduce the energy consumption by a minimum of 30 per cent.
If successful, all high-mast sodium vapour lamps would be replaced with the induction lamps.
There are about 115 high-mast sodium vapour lamps at important junctions, including at Valluvar Kottam, Pantheon Road, Kamarajar Salai, TTK Road and Poonamallee High Road, said an official.
The civic body has already installed 20 induction lamps for street illumination at a cost of Rs.1.50 lakh on Subbarao Avenue, Nungambakkam, on a trial basis.
By switching over to the induction lamps, the civic body aims to limit the monthly electricity bills for streetlights up to Rs.1.35 crore. The Corporation is also studying the viability of using LED (light-emitting diode) lamps for street illumination.
