LA Streetlights To Get LED Upgrade (photo: LA Bureau of Street Lighting)
The city of Los Angeles has announced plans to undertake the largest municipal LED lighting retrofit in history. The city will replace 140,000 streetlights with energy-efficient LED lighting, and the financial and environmental benefits will be dramatic.
The Clinton Climate Initiative (former President Clinton’s greenhouse-gas-reduction project) has partnered with Los Angeles city government to implement the transition. According to Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, “With the green street light program, we are lighting the way to a greener LA. Reducing LA’s contribution to global warming will bring multiple benefits to Angelenos; we’ll save money on energy costs and reduce our dependence on fossil fuels.”
The 140,000 streetlights currently in use throughout Los Angeles are responsible for 120,000 metric tons of CO2 emissions annually, and operating costs each year are approximately $15 million. The LED lighting retrofit is projected to cut emissions by 40% (a reduction equivalent to the pollution from 6,700 automobiles) and save Los Angeles $10 million annually. This is especially significant since municipal lighting systems account for approximately 1% of US power usage and can represent up to 38% of a city’s utility spending.
President Clinton, Mayor Villaraigosa Announce LED Project (photo: LA Bureau of Street Lighting)
Also, in addition to the direct energy savings, LED lighting systems require far less maintenance than traditional streetlights. Los Angeles expects its new fixtures to last 10 to 12 years (compared to roughly five years for the older lights), and they feature remote sensors to alert crews of necessary repairs, greatly increasing the efficiency of maintenance efforts.
(via City of Los Angeles Bureau of Street Lighting)
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