San Francisco Water, Power and Sewer is beginning a city-wide project late this year to replace 18,500 high-pressure sodium street light fixtures with LED fixtures. The new fixtures will use 50 percent less energy than the existing street lights and will cost far less to maintain since they only have to be replaced every 15 - 20 years compared to the current bulbs that have to be replaced every four years.
The swapping out of the lighting fixtures is expected to take 30 minutes per street light with the whole project being completed in about 14 months.
The new lights have more benefits than just the energy and cost savings. The lights will have smart controllers that let the city remotely monitor and adjust their light level and alert maintenance crews when the lights fail or are about to fail.
via San Francisco Water Power Sewer
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Comments (17)
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written by gmoke, June 01, 2011
Will the new LED lights produce less light pollution so that it gets easier for urban dwellers to see the stars?
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written by Marcela, June 02, 2011
The difference is just stunning! And it is a much more eco friendly way of illuminating the streets.
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written by voltair, June 02, 2011
How does the efficiency compare to Michigan based (and manufactured) induction lighting from Everlast lighting. They claim more lumins/watt than LEDs.
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written by Timetrvlr, June 02, 2011
Savings of 50% in power usage is huge for a large city, not to mention much lower maintenance costs. California is in a long-term energy crisis. The energy you don't use is much more cost effective than gearing up to produce more energy.
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written by joeyballzmcbigme, June 03, 2011
Los Angeles has the same thing and has been in affect for year, year and half. Big different in lighting don't know about the controller and monitoring systems. Thank you Mayor Villaragosa so far he's done one thing right.
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written by net97surferx, June 04, 2011
I read somewhere that if we 'only' changed all the lights in the cities/all the parking lots in the US with LEDs and/or Solar, we could cut power consumption in half and there would NOT have been the 'need' to legislate CFL bulbs into every home.
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written by Mila Biosfera, June 06, 2011
It is very intelligent, I am surprised that they only have to be replaced every 15 - 20 years compared to the current bulbs that have to be replaced every four years, I think everybody should know about this.
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written by JP, June 08, 2011
Great first step. Low hanging fruit first. All traffic lights should be next (they are on all day long). Motion sensors for street lights should be next.
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written by MD, June 09, 2011
RE Traffic lights.
In colder climates utilities actually put resistive heaters into LED traffic lights, since they do not produce a lot of heat, snow tends to stick to them and it obscures the LEDs.
In colder climates utilities actually put resistive heaters into LED traffic lights, since they do not produce a lot of heat, snow tends to stick to them and it obscures the LEDs.
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written by Beth, June 10, 2011
I guess San Fran will be the new "city that never sleeps" unless you have light blocking curtains.
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written by lookinin, June 10, 2011
As MD pointed out, there is no perfect solution. But it's a start.
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written by Matt, July 12, 2011
LEDs are a start but why not go through the city and look at the ones that don't need to be on from 12am - 5am? Like those on exit and entry ramps to the highway? Those are such a waste.
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written by Guysaac, July 25, 2011
If LEDs are to be used instead on traditional incandescent bulbs, than they would not produce enough heat to prevent the unit from being frozen over. Which is why the use of LEDs in traffic signals is either not legal or not common in many areas. But street lights are facing downward and are not likely to be frozen on the vital side. Great job, San Fransisco!
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written by Laura Piedra Alumbre, August 11, 2011
Congrats!, The difference is stunning!, Thank you Mayor Villaragosa =)
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written by Christine, June 25, 2012
I step in the right direction. I wish the rest of the country would follow in the footsteps of California w/the energy savings as well as other ecological conservatory mindsets.
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