Home Solar lighting blog About solar lighting Ban on Globe Lights in 2025: Switch to Solar Streetlights for Sustainable Upgrades

Key Goals of Public Lighting Renovation

Public lighting upgrades aim to achieve several crucial objectives:

1. Reducing Energy Consumption: Municipalities can save up to 50% to 75% and even eliminate electricity bills with solar solutions by switching to LED and solar technologies. These autonomous systems harness solar energy, providing cost-free public lighting while maintaining the same efficiency as traditional LED technologies. This cuts expenses and helps transition toward 100% renewable energy.
2. Minimizing Light Pollution: These technologies optimize lighting and reduce stray light, limiting light pollution, protecting wildlife, and preserving dark night skies.
3. Enhancing Safety and Quality of Life: Modern, well-designed public lighting enhances safety in public spaces and residential areas while creating a more pleasant nighttime environment for residents.

Legal Requirements Starting January 1, 2025

Legal obligations also drive the push for more sustainable public lighting. Starting January 1, 2025, “globe” style lights—which are a significant source of upward light and contribute to light pollution—must be replaced in compliance with the December 27, 2018, regulation on limiting light pollution.

This law mandates the replacement of these lights because they emit diffuse, poorly directed light, contributing significantly to light pollution. Municipalities face fines of up to 1,500€ per light if they fail to comply by the deadline. This regulatory framework underscores the urgency to modernize public lighting systems with more efficient, environmentally friendly solutions.

Current State of Public Lighting Infrastructure in France

Public lighting infrastructure in France faces issues of aging and technological obsolescence:

• 5 million light points: The total number of public lighting fixtures nationwide.
• 40% of lights are over 25 years old: These aging lights are often energy-intensive and costly to maintain.
• 30% mercury vapor lamps: Despite being banned since 2015, many municipalities still use these inefficient, environmentally harmful lamps.
• Slow replacement rate: With only 3% of lights being replaced annually, the pace of modernization is not sufficient to meet climate goals

Eligibility Criteria for Green Fund Assistance

To accelerate this transition, funding such as the Green Fund is available, provided specific criteria are met:

1. Upgrade at least 20% of the lighting system: Significant transformations must be undertaken to achieve measurable reductions in energy impact.
2. Reduce energy consumption by at least 50%: This goal can be met by replacing old technology with LED and solar solutions.
3. Limit maximum lighting to 20 lux in urban areas: This requirement reduces light pollution while ensuring optimal safety.
4. Lower color temperature to a maximum of 2700K: To minimize impacts on human health and biodiversity, new lights must emit a softer glow.

Recommended Actions for a Successful Transition

To comply with legal obligations and meet the eligibility criteria for financial assistance, several practical actions can be implemented:

1. Switch to LED with reduced power: LEDs offer better energy efficiency and allow light intensity adjustments based on actual needs.
2. Nighttime shutoff or motion detection: Reducing lighting during low-traffic periods or installing motion detectors helps lower energy consumption while maintaining safety.
3. Upgrade control cabinets: Modernizing lighting control systems enables automatic adjustments based on local conditions.
4. Use renewable energy: Solar streetlights are ideal for reducing reliance on fossil fuels and lowering operating costs.

Benefits of Solar Streetlights

Solar streetlights are particularly suited to address the new public lighting challenges, offering numerous advantages:

• Energy independence: These lights operate without connection to the electrical grid, making them easier to install, especially in remote or rural areas.
• Lower operating costs: Solar energy is free, significantly reducing public lighting expenses.
• Minimal environmental impact: Using solar energy for public lighting can reduce CO2 emissions by up to 50% and promote the transition to renewable energy.
• Reliability and durability: Solar systems are designed to be robust and withstand harsh weather conditions, reducing maintenance needs.

Conclusion 

Upgrading public lighting systems is both an environmental and economic necessity. The January 1, 2025, deadline for replacing globe lights under penalty of fines highlights the urgency to act. By adopting solar lighting solutions, municipalities can comply with new regulations, achieve substantial cost savings, and provide residents with a safer, more pleasant living environment.

As a leader in solar lighting solutions, Sunna Design supports municipalities in their transition to sustainable public lighting. Our solutions address climate challenges and legal requirements while ensuring long-term savings.

Contact us to learn more about how we can help you modernize your public lighting system in compliance with current regulations.