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Eesti Energia’s subsidiary Enefit Connect renewed the street lighting on Ruhnu Island in cooperation with Ruhnu Rural Municipality Government, thus making the local living environment more modern. The new lighting solution consists of remote-controlled LED street lights that are connected directly to power lines as an innovative solution.

In the course of the project, Enefit Connect installed 26 remote-controlled LED street lights on Ruhnu Island in May, built as a novel solution on the current electricity infrastructure and mostly on existing wooden poles. This meant a simpler work process and a smaller investment in building a network.

“The decision of Ruhnu Rural Municipality to make the local living environment more modern and to renew the public lighting solution as a whole sets an example to all local governments. Ruhnu previously had half as many street lights. The new solution definitely makes the conditions for people moving on the island more comfortable, and I am very pleased that we were able to be partners to Ruhnu Rural Muncipality Government in this process,” said Andrus Kraht, Head of Lighting Services at Enefit Connect, and thanked Ruhnu Rural Municipality Government for successful and smooth cooperation.

“Ruhnu village streets were previously illuminated by 10 sodium lamps and 1 halogen lamp. The new solution based on LED technology makes it possible to illuminate twice as many village roads at the same fixed cost, improving the safe movement of islanders in the dark. Also, we found an opportunity with Enefit Connect to improve the lighting in dark curves by installing additional poles. While in the past, the maintenance and orderliness of street lights was only on the shoulders of the rural municipality government, it is now operated in cooperation with Enefit Connect remotely from Tallinn by means of a smart control solution,” commented Andre Nõu, Ruhnu Rural Municipality Mayor.

Enefit Connect was awarded the right to renew Ruhnu street lighting by winning a procurement organized by the Ruhnu Rural Municipality Government in autumn 2020. The cost of the investment was approximately 25 thousand euros. The Ruhnu Rural Municipality Government used the investment support intended for the economic recovery from the situation caused by COVID-19 to buy out the implemented lighting solution in full. According to the agreement, Enefit Connect will remain the island's street lighting maintenance partner for the next five years.

Enefit Connect, being the largest street lighting service provider in Estonia as the operator of street lighting in the cities of Tallinn and Tartu as well as administrator of lighting solutions in several smaller areas, is ready to become a partner for other local governments as well with the new solution. “A detailed analysis revealed that there is market potential for more than 24,000 power network overhead line poles across Estonia. Based on our experience, replacing existing sodium luminaires with modern LED luminaires will save an average of 50% on energy. Additional savings of up to 30% can be achieved by controlling the luminaires with dimming programs. If necessary, we can help with the initial investment,” Kraht said.

Ruhnu Island is supplied with electricity by a renewable energy solution built in 2018 by Eesti Energia's renewable energy company Enefit Green, consisting of solar panels, a wind turbine, a battery bank and a diesel generator. Thanks to a solution controlled by smart automation, at least 50% of the electricity consumed on the island comes from renewable sources.

Enefit Connect, a subsidiary of Eesti Energia, manages various power networks and a great share of Estonia’s street lighting network, develops a high-speed Internet network and a modern electric car charging network, and provides new energy solutions based on modern technology.