by Chris Ashmore

DONEGAL County Council is changing the type of energy efficient LED lights that it uses in the public lighting network – because of concerns that they can have a negative impact on biodiversity, the Donegal News can reveal.

In recent years, the local authority – like others around the country – has embarked on a major replacement of old style bulbs, with new energy efficient LEDS.

This has reduced the Council’s electricity bill and ties in with its Climate Action Plan and the bid to reduce carbon emissions.

However, international research has found that the blue-rich cool-white LED lighting, which is the most energy-efficient, also appears to be the most ecologically unfriendly. White LEDs contain high proportions of short wavelength blue light, causing substantial biological impacts.

Biologists, physicians and ecologists have warned that blue-rich LED light can disturb the day-and-night rhythm of living organisms. It fools the brain into thinking it’s daytime, causing disrupted sleep patterns. This, it is claimed, can lead to a variety of chronic health conditions.with potential negative health effects on individual species and whole ecosystems.

Donegal County Council manages a public lighting network of over 19,700 lights, which uses around four million units of electricity each year.

In recent years, the Council has been upgrading these lights to energy efficient LEDs. In 2024, a further seven per cent of the network was converted, bringing the total share of LED lights to 84 per cent. This latest phase of upgrades reduced energy use by approximately 350,000 units of electricity.

While LED lighting is known for its energy efficiency, it can affect biodiversity.

In the Council’s first progress report on the Climate Action Plan 2024-2029, which has just been released, the issue is acknowledged.

It states: “While LED lighting is known for its energy efficiency, it can affect biodiversity. To help address this, the Council will begin using 2,200 Kelvin LEDs in 2025. These warmer lights maintain energy savings while also being more environmentally friendly.”

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