The City of West Jordan in Utah, U.S., is replacing approximately 5,000 traditional streetlights with LED (light emitting diode) lights, which provide improved illumination at a reduced operating cost – and shrink the city’s carbon footprint.
“The LEDs are expected to improve lighting quality, reliability and safety, while lowering maintenance costs and reducing the city’s carbon footprint,” Mayor Kim V. Rolfe said. “It’s all part of our efforts to become more sustainable and reduce our environmental impact.”
LEDs are considerably smaller than traditional lights, consume less energy and have life spans of approximately 50,000 hours compared with only 20,000 hours for traditional lamps, which are based on technology from the 1970s. Traditional bulbs and components generally last around four years, but LEDs come with a 10-year warranty – and many will last an average of 17-23 years, further reducing maintenance costs.
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To help keep installation costs low, city crews are replacing streetlights in residential areas. (All photos courtesy of The City of West Jordan) |
The initial investment for the cost of the fixtures and installation is about $3.7 million. Some of the costs will be offset by rebates from Rocky Mountain Power. The balance is being paid for with a bond, with bond payments coming from energy and maintenance cost savings. Lower energy costs alone are expected to save the city about $150,000 per year. No tax increase is planned.
In addition to the look of the new fixtures, the light color is also different. Traditional bulbs produce a light that looks almost pink or orange. LEDs produce a light that appears cooler and whiter, similar to moonlight. The result is a higher light quality that improves nighttime visibility and safety through better color rendering, more uniform light distribution and the brightening of some dark areas between poles. Existing streetlight poles will be used so pole spacing and height will remain the same.
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Traditional lights (pictured above left) are being replaced by LEDs (pictured above right). The LEDs are smaller, provide better illumination and reduced maintenance. |
City crews are installing lights in residential areas, and a contractor is installing the lights on the main collector streets like 7800 South and Redwood Road.
For more information, contact Kim Wells at (801) 569-5163 or via e-mail kimw@wjordan.com.
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