Streetlight LED project winds down
Yuma nets $152K in rebates for converting bulbs
Yuma’s streetlight replacement project is winding down, with most of the old high-pressure sodium bulbs now replaced with light-emitting diode bulbs.
As of Tuesday, crews had replaced 96 percent of 8,500 streetlights, and the city anticipates that the project will be completed by the end of this month.
All areas of town — as identified in the plan the city rolled out late last summer — have had streetlights replaced; only isolated locations remain that were missed or perhaps may need replacement due to defective equipment, city spokesman Dave Nash said.
The contractor, Siemens Industry, began the project in early September with crews first working in residential neighborhoods in Yuma’s north end, then following the pattern used in the city’s annual Neighborhood Cleanup program.
Once the residential neighborhood retrofits were completed,
crews moved on to the city’s major roadways.
The project is sufficiently complete for Yuma to receive APS rebates for installation of the cost-saving LED lighting. Thus far, the city has received $152,260 in rebates from APS related to converting the streetlights to energy-saving LED technology, Nash said.
The city expects to save a substantial amount in energy and maintenance costs over the next 10 years. The high-pressure sodium lights last for about three years. The LED lights will last about 12 years.
“You can imagine the expense in bulbs and labor replacing 8,500 lights every three years. Bulbs obviously don’t all burn out at the same time, but it is still a full-time job for more than one person,” City Administrator Greg Wilkinson previously said.
The city estimates that at full implementation, it will save more than $100,000 per year in maintenance costs and more than $250,000 a year in energy costs.
The cost to convert the streetlights to LEDs is about $3.7 million, paid from the city’s road tax fund. Siemens will “properly” dispose of the existing lights. Existing poles, bases and underground cabling remained intact.
The city started exploring a conversion to LED streetlights after hearing about the experiences and advantages of the lights in other cities. LEDs have two to four times the lifespan of the current high-pressure sodium lights. Objects are usually visible in their more natural color. LEDs return to full luminescence instantly in the event of a power failure, unlike bulbs that require heating time upon restart.
The directional pattern of LED streetlights reduces spillover of light into nearby homes. LEDs tend not to burn out but instead fade over time, and they are believed to be less attractive to nocturnal insects.
Another reason for the change is that technology is changing so rapidly that high-pressure sodium lights are becoming obsolete, making it harder for the city to find replacement parts. Bigger cities are buying out the stock just as the parts manufacturer slows down production.