LED lighting the way of the future

Times Reporter    

 

LED lighting is making its way into all areas of the world, from household light bulbs to taillights to streetlights. Werner Fischer, a member of the town’s planning and development department, spoke to council on June 4 about having LED lighting installed into new community streetlights. 

A pilot project in 2011 by AUMA saw Innisfail, Stony Plain and Okotoks test out the new lighting. Innisfail will not be pursuing the initiative, mainly because they would have to retrofit their existing streetlights, which will become quite costly. 

Advantages to using LED lighting are the energy savings, which is key, durability and longevity, and reduction of light pollution and glare. 

Fischer said the pilot study in Okotoks indicated that there was a potential of up to 27 per cent in energy savings, given that an LED consumes about 67 per cent of the power that a conventional high pressure sodium bulb would. 

FortisAlberta provided the town with information that did state that there would be an energy savings of about 36 per cent if LED street lights were use.

“Last year we estimate that the town paid approximately $55,000 for street lighting. Had those streetlights been LED there would have been a savings of almost $20,000,” said Fischer.

“The key drawback to it at this point were to retrofitting in existing areas is much more expensive than adding LED lighting in new subdivisions.”

The technology is still fairly new, and the efficiency is expected to improve and capital costs are likely to decrease. 

Currently the cost to install a streetlight is $3,000. The difference to install an LED light is an additional $500, but retrofitting the existing lights to accommodate LED lighting would cost $750 to $1,000 per light. 

Fischer said that staff believes that requiring LED lighting in new subdivisions is a reasonable approach to improving energy efficiency.

It is recognized that retrofitting is more expensive and Fortis will not replace individual luminaries without replacing all of them in a given area. The recommendation is was for council to support LED lighting in the new subdivisions. The recommendation was accepted and moved.