City installs LED street lights
Source: City of El Cerrito
In late August the City of El Cerrito installed over 200 light emitting diode (LED) street light luminaries to replace the existing streetlights along San Pablo Avenue in El Cerrito.
The light emitting diode (LED) luminaries have much lower energy consumption and longer life compared to the old high-pressure sodium (HPS) lights. LED streetlights have been available on the market; however this is the first large-scale deployment in the Bay Area. Many other cities are all currently considering replace existing streetlights with LED luminaries.
Republic ITS installed the new lights for the City on existing poles along the 2.7 mile segment of San Pablo Avenue from Albany to Richmond. Installation started on Monday, August 24, 2009 and is expected to be completed by midday on Monday, August 31st, 2009.
The LED streetlights installed in El Cerrito use 117 watts compared to 181 watts consumed by the older HPS lights. This energy savings will result in lower PGE rates for the City. The City will also save money through reduced ongoing maintenance and operation costs. Estimates for energy savings are $6,100 annually. The longer life span on the LED lights (projected to be at least double
the life of the current HPS) will also result in additional savings over time.
The City expects to receive a rebate of approximately to $75 per light from PGE for converting to LED lights.
The City expects residents and travelers on San Pablo Avenue will appreciate the new streetlights. “You might notice that these LED lights are a white light compared to the yellow color of the old sodium lights, and you might notice that you can see colors more clearly,” said City Engineer Jerry Bradshaw.
Prior to the installation, the City installed LED streetlights on two blocks of San Pablo Avenue as a demonstration project. By Monday, August 31st, 2009, all but a few streetlights along the Avenue will have been replaced—those still waiting for the upgrade either require a new pole or are on Caltrans poles and require approval from Caltrans.
The City contracted with Omega Pacific Electric Supply Inc. of Richmond, California to purchase the light emitting diode (LED) street light luminaries manufactured by Beta of Wisconsin.
Run dates: 2009-08-30 - 2009-09-21 |
