State grant funds additional LED lighting

Since first starting to explore LED lighting in 2005, the city of Ann Arbor has grabbed headlines left and right, and been recognized as a world leader for our use of high-efficiency, low-maintenance, mercury-free LEDs for lights. Community feedback has been overwhelmingly positive since the start, and only a handful of the old metal halide globe streetlights downtown remain to be converted to LED.

The city's field operations crews have yet to make any maintenance calls on the LED streetlights, some of which have now been in operation for more than four years.

Given the success with LED streetlights—and previous success with LED traffic signals—the city is now exploring additional LED lighting applications, with the help of a $218,000 grant from the Michigan Department of Energy, Labor & Economic Growth (DELEG).

Funding through the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act, the grant from DELEG will cover 90 percent of the cost of new LED lights for a variety of different uses, both indoors and outdoors. Between energy savings and reduced maintenance costs, the LED upgrades are expected to save more than $25,000 each year and avoid nearly 300,000 pounds of carbon emissions annually.

By demonstrating LEDs to other potential users, these projects will also help to reduce the costs of LED lighting in the future as the technology is more widely adopted. Altogether, the grant will fund the replacement of 400 fixtures at fire stations, Mack Pool, City Hall, Cobblestone Farm, Wheeler Service Center, and other city facilities.

Of course, there's more to LEDs than just saving energy and money. For instance, the staff at Cobblestone Barn have never been particularly fond of the large, slow-to-warm-up metal halide and sodium vapor lights. In contrast, LED lighting is "instant-on" and dimmable, and can provide a greatly increased level of control. Similarly, at the Fourth and Washington parking structure downtown, new LED lighting in the underground floors of the garage will allow for lighting to be dimmed when the space is unoccupied, saving additional energy and further improving the already long life of the LED fixtures.

Outdoor lighting at the city of Ann Arbor's Wheeler Service Center

Andrew Brix | Contributor

Another advantage of LEDs is the directionality of the light, which helps to reduce light pollution. Replacement LED fixtures planned for the Wheeler Service Center will help keep light where it is needed—on the ground—and out of the night sky.

Installations will take place over the next three months, culminating in an LEDCity meeting Sept. 16, where Energy Office staff will share findings and experiences with other municipalities in the Midwest.

To learn more about Ann Arbor's LED streetlight program, visit the city's website.

Andrew Brix is the city of Ann Arbor's Energy Programs Manager and contributes to AnnArbor.com as part of the Your World series. He can be reached at energy@a2gov.org. Learn more about local energy efforts at www.a2gov.org/energy.

Tags: Your World