Media Release - September 2014
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Streetlight Energy Consumption To Drop Up to 70%, Powassan, On
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The Municipality of Powassan created and implemented an Energy Conservation and Demand Management Plan in June 2014 to assist in achieving the following goals:
Maximize fiscal resources and avoid cost increases through direct energy savings
Reduce the environmental impact of the municipality's operations
Increase the comfort and safety of staff and patrons of the municipality's facilities
To lead a culture of conservation within the municipality, and
To improve the reliability of the municipality's equipment and reduce maintenance costs
The Energy Conservation and Demand Management Plan can be found on our website at www.powassan.net.
Reducing annual municipal expenses and conserving energy are high priorities for the Municipality of Powassan, Ontario. The municipality's upgrade to energy efficient light-emitting diode (LED) streetlights addresses both priorities by cutting energy costs by up to 70% per year and up to 80% less in maintenance costs over the life of the luminaires. LEDs are also more environmentally friendly by reducing greenhouse gas emissions by up to 70% compared to traditional streetlights. Local Authority Services (LAS) and RealTerm Energy partnered to tailor a street lighting design to fit Powassan's community needs, energy efficiency needs and budgetary goals.
By upgrading the municipality's existing inventory of streetlights to LED, the municipality will be able to radically reduce our energy and maintenance budget from $239 per fixture to $69 per fixture, dramatically improve the quality of light offered to our citizens, enhance the natural environment both by consuming less energy and by avoiding light trespass while beautifying our community and boosting security.
Installation of Powassan's 249 new LED streetlights will occur during late September and early October. In addition to using far less energy than the municipality's existing streetlights, LEDs last three to five times longer, up to 20 years, providing a clear, white light that improves visibility over traditional streetlights that give off an orange glow; LED's fade as they reach the end of that long life rather than simply burn out like traditional fixtures. These characteristics will help reduce Powassan's street light maintenance costs by up to 80%.
The Association of Municipalities of Ontario, LAS, RealTerm Energy Corp. and Cree Lighting have created a program in which all municipalities in Ontario can benefit in reducing costs associated with street lighting. Participation by the Municipality of Powassan allows us to achieve significant cost savings and transfer operational risks to the private sector for a ten year period. More than 60 Ontario municipalities have upgraded to LED street lighting with LAS and RealTerm Energy in the past 12 months.
