REPORT TO COUNCIL
SUBJECT
Title
Direct Staff to Proceed with LED Streetlights Citywide Conversion Project and Approve Budget Modification No. 14
Report
BACKGROUND
In an effort to continue reducing the City's carbon footprint and streetlight energy consumption and maintenance costs, staff has evaluated the conversion of all remaining high pressure sodium (HPS) streetlights to energy efficient light emitting diode (LED) fixtures. The City owns and maintains approximately 8,784 streetlights, the majority being the HPS type. Out of these, approximately 1,859 fixtures, mostly on arterial (major) city streets, were converted to LED in 2012. This left approximately 6,925 fixtures, mostly in residential areas that could now be converted to LEDs.
The City's first round of LED conversion were funded by an energy block grant from the federal government supplemented by PG&E rebates. The focus of this project was to maximize energy savings by targeting higher wattage fixtures that typically occur on major streets. A typical retrofit replaced a 200 watt HPS fixture with an 80 watt LED. Energy consumption savings realized after the conversion to LED based on PG&E's calculations and rate schedule effective January 1, 2014 was estimated to be approximately $119,000 annually.
In addition to energy savings, LEDs provide several advantages over the City's current HPS fixtures.
* Per watt, LED produces twice the amount of light as compared to HPS.
* LEDs provide a more uniform light distribution that improves visibility, and allow for better control over the amount of light projected on the back of the fixture so it would not be as bright on adjacent residences.
* Objects can also be distinguished with better clarity under the LED light. This is a safety aspect that can assist Public Safety during their nighttime work and allows motorists to more easily identify bicyclists and pedestrians.
* Another important fact about LED streetlights is that their reduced ...
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