Columbus ‘LEDs’ the state in efficient streetlights (4/23/08)

While nighttime drivers on Dickason Boulevard near Fuller Street may notice the especially clear quality of four newly installed streetlights, they probably don’t realize that the lights also make Columbus an energy efficiency pioneer.

Columbus became the first in the state to use this state-of-the art energy saving technology when it installed the four lights in February.

“Compared to the typical 100 Watt high pressure sodium streetlights we might use, the LED units are expected to use 45% less energy,” says Columbus Water & Light (CW&L) Assistant Superintendent Bill Daley. “In addition, because they last longer, they’ll require less service. As a result, the community saves energy and man-hours.”

In addition to improved efficiency, the lights also offer improved visibility. The difference between the new lights and other, traditional units on Dickason is hard to miss, says Daley.

“It’s a very clear, even light,” says Daley. “The light spreads more evenly between fixtures, making this safer and more visible at night.”

The city installed the four cutting-edge units in order to try out the relatively new, but promising, product supplied by Sturtevant, Wis.- based Beta LD. CW&L staff will monitor the units for energy savings and evaluate the bright white light from the LED fixtures. Based on the results of the evaluation, the utility could recommend that the city make wider use of the LED technology.

“As a municipal utility, we strive to make Columbus a better place to live and work,” says Daley. “Saving energy is one of the smartest, most cost-effective measures we can take to address rising energy costs and environmental concerns. Our LED streetlight project is the most recent example of our ongoing efforts to find new ways to help improve energy efficiency in our community.”