Streetlights in Lindsay to be converted to LED

SCE to start process in 2019

That’s because the Lindsay City Council, at its meeting Tuesday, authorized City Manager Bill Zigler to execute an agreement with Southern California Edison (SCE) to convert all of the city’s streelights to LED.

Next year all of the streetlights in the City of Lindsay will start to be converted to LED.

That’s because the Lindsay City Council, at its meeting Tuesday, authorized City Manager Bill Zigler to execute an agreement with Southern California Edison (SCE) to convert all of the city’s streelights to LED.

Lindsay currently has a network of 574 street lights owned and maintained by SCE, said Michael Camarena, the director of city cervices. The size (wattage) of the lights, Camarena said, range from 70 watt to 250 watt with the majority at 70 watts (434) and 150 watt (102).

Camarena said SCE has

presented the opportunity to transition this streetlight network from high pressure sodium (HPS) to light-emitting diode (LED).

Introduced circa 1970, Camarena said HPS lights were a popular street lighting solution. However, despite their widespread usage, Camarena said HPS lamps display numerous deficiencies, especially now when compared with newer lighting

technologies.

Color limitations (HPS is referred to as amber or yellow lighting), limited visibility and lumen depreciation (loss of brightness), Camarena said, are a few weaknesses noted. LED technology has progressed significantly in the past few years. While the technology has been in use for some time, hardware costs have prohibited large-scale transition to LED fixtures or

bulbs.

Camarena said SCE will convert all existing HPS lighting to LED. The city will be responsible for the cost of conversion, however, he noted that SCE has prepared an agreement to allow the city to repay the cost of conversion over a 20-year period.

Even with the cost spread out over a 20-year period, Camarena said SCE has estimated an annual

savings of $2,500. Camarena noted that factors such as time of use, rate structure over the period of agreement and expansion of lighting network will affect the annual saving estimate. He added that at the end of the 20-year agreement, it is estimated that annual savings could reach $12,000.

Camarena said some positive attributes of LED lighting include providing a more natural (white) light for increased visibility and safety, high energy efficiency (30 watt LED light is similar to an 80 watt HPS), and increased bulb life cycle by as much as five times longer.

“A parallel benefit to the city will be once the project is programmed, the city will increase one tier level in the Energy Leader Model of SCE,” Camarena said, adding, “This status will allow opportunities with SCE and the VIEW Partnership for future programs.”

He continued, “Our new status will be Gold Level,” Camarena said.

Camarena said timing for the street light conversion is anticipated to begin in 2019.

The next regular city council meeting starts at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 23, in the council chambers at Lindsay’s City Hall.