Energy

LED Street Lighting Energy Efficiency Program

To replace 140,000 existing streetlight fixtures within the City with LED units – recognizing cost and energy savings directly associated with this transition

Topic Areas Addressed:

Energy

Keywords:

Submitting Jurisdiction:

City of Los Angeles

Collaboration between the Los Angeles Bureau of Street Lighting, the Department of Water and Power, and the Clinton Foundation produced the Street Lighting Energy Efficiency Program in October 2008; the program includes the most extensive green lighting retrofit by a City to date.

In order to replace the current street lights, the City created a pilot stage in which light fixtures are submitted for evaluation based on whether or not they meet all of the following requirements:

1. Must be commercially available – prototypes will not be accepted
2. Use at least 30% less energy than high pressure sodium fixtures
3. Production capacity exceeds 1,500 units per month
4. Must be marked with a full production catalogue number that matches manufacturer documentation
5. Submittal of a full sheet of product specifications; warranty information must be included
6. Designed to meet IESNA lighting standards and must be classified as cutoff, with no significant glare (IES Files must be submitted)
7. Tested by an independent lab in accordance with LM-79 (documentation must be submitted)
8. Has a standard 3 prong locking Photocell receptacle
9. Easily connects to a standard 2.5” Dia. horizontal tenon
10. Does not have any fans or moving parts
11. Driver is located inside the housing, but should be easily accessible
12. Housing must not be constructed of Polycarbonate that will change color over time.
13. Power Factor > .90
14. LED driving current < 525mA
15. LED Color Temp. (4000-5000K)
16. CRI > 70

With the implementation of this program, the City can expect to save energy by a minimum of 40%, reduce carbon emissions by an estimated 40,500 tons annually, and significantly reduce streetlight maintenance time.

Public Outreach and Education:

For the duration of the pilot stage, a letter was sent to homeowners of areas where the City tested new energy efficient streetlight fixtures. Additionally a follow-up survey regarding their responses was sent, in which a total of 94 were returned, with generally well reception.

Target Audience:

All City departments associated with public street lighting and residents affected by the changes

Fiscal Impacts:

Funds through a loan, energy rebate, and the Street Lighting Maintenance Assessment Fund (generating $42 million dollars annually) will cover all associated costs, to include the operation and maintenance of the City’s street lighting system, energy cost, material, labor, fleet, cost for other City entities support and material.

The loan will be repaid over a period of seven years entirely through savings in energy and maintenance costs with no adverse impact to the General Fund. After the loan is repaid, the City will save $10 million per year through more efficient LED lighting.

Originating Source:

In May 2007, Los Angeles mayor Villaraigosa announced the Green LA Action Plan to achieve 35% greenhouse gas emissions reduction by 2030.