Company behind Google Maps highlight electricity wastage in Leicester

Imaging company BlueSky International have snapped Leicester by night in an attempt to show the extent of electricity wastage.

The company behind Google Maps have been hovering over Leicester for the last two weeks taking photos of the glowing city. They plan to team up with the University of Leicester to look at problems with light pollution.

Leicester city centre by night.

The images show the Highcross centre, the luminous ring-road and the Leicester’s claim to fame – the site where Richard III was dug up.

BlueSky also uses the thermal imaging to highlight hot and cold spots in housing. Students are known for cutting back on central heating, and rubbish insulation doesn’t help either.

Electricity wastage at Highcross

The images can also show cannabis factory hotspots, with the lighting needed to grow weed showing up on the heat sensors. The company has even been known to find illegal housing – ‘sheds with beds’.

The hope is that areas with poor street lighting are revealed, helping to combat crime.

John Lewis also waste a lot

Whilst gazing at the stars may not be at the top of the agenda, glaring lights are a problem students know all too well! The council appear to be in the process of replacing faulty street lights with new LED ones. They’re so bright it’s basically sunny for a full 24 hours.

It should also reveal where the council wastes money on lights that are too bright, hopefully leaving us all with a better night’s sleep!

James Eddy from Bluesky said: “Light pollution impacts all of us in many ways from a loss of view of the night sky to health problems caused by lack of sleep…If the street lights can be seen from as high up as the plan then they are obviously too bright and wasting energy.