Tampere switches thousands of lights in schools and daycares, cutting lighting energy up to 70%

Tampere is replacing lighting in schools and daycares this year as part of the Hiilineutraali Tampere 2030 programme. Work has been carried out at sites including Niemenranta daycare, Sammon keskuslukio and Tampere International School.

City engineers, together with contractor Äyräväinen Tampere Oy, say simple swaps to dimmable LED fixtures already yield large savings. "Many public buildings still use lighting that can be replaced with more energy-efficient solutions," says Anna-Riikka Jännetyinen, an energy and automation specialist at Tampere Facilities Services. Contractor designer Ossi Alapiha says roughly 400 older fixtures were replaced at both Sammon keskuslukio and Niemenranta daycare, with the new lights controlled by an intelligent lighting system.

The calculated cuts are substantial. At Sammon keskuslukio annual lighting consumption falls from about 39,000 kWh to roughly 12,000 kWh, a near 70 percent drop. Niemenranta’s swap is estimated to save almost 50 percent. At Tampere International School, where about 2,000 fixtures were renewed and many old housings and covers were reused, the project should save more than 100,000 kWh a year, roughly 60 percent. Jännetyinen stresses the upgrades also improve users’ comfort in the renovated spaces.

The upgrades are part of the city's wider climate actions for municipal services. Earlier measures included cutting red meat from school menus to reduce emissions as reported in September.