Municipal Lighting Upgrade and Light Pollution Mitigation

Municipalities all over the country have been saving thousands, even millions, of dollars on energy costs just by upgrading their light sources to LEDs. Upgrading street lights and interior lighting in municipal facilities saves the City of Whitehall energy costs in the long run while also setting an example as a leader in local sustainability. Changing street and parking lot lights can also reduce light pollution with the addition of new canopy requirements.

(Image Source: Dorset Street Lighting Services)

Idea

Reducing costs for city operation is essential, and one of the easiest ways to reduce costs is to increase efficiency. The overall cost benefit of LED light installation has been proven to be more efficient and less costly in the long term. Recent health concerns have been raised over the high amounts of blue light that had been emitted by early LED bulbs, however manufacturers have been able to address this by reducing blue light in current units.

Goal

Decrease energy consumption and light pollution with the installation of more efficient lighting and requiring Dark Skies-friendly infrastructure.

Objectives

1. Conduct a cost - benefit analysis for replacement of all municipal light fixtures that can be replaced with LED lighting.
2. Incorporate requirements for Dark Skies-friendly infrastructure into the development process.

Examples

Anchorage LED Street Light Conversion - Long-term projected savings of roughly $400,000.

Berkeley, California Street Light Conversion - Reduced the energy share of street lights from 32% to 19% and reduced yearly energy carbon emissions by over 400 tons annually.

City of Worcester, Massachusetts Lighting Replacement - Estimated reduction of $910,000 for street light conversion and $89,000 for municipal garage lighting conversion.

Connection to Other Plans

This idea potentially addresses the following elements of the MORPC Regional Sustainability Agenda:

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