The U.S. Trade and Development Agency awarded a grant to Costa Rican electric utility, Compañía Nacional de Fuerza y Luz, S.A. (CNFL), for a feasibility study to support the deployment of networked light emitting diode (LED) street lights throughout CNFL’s service territory.

By installing nearly 100,000 “smart” street lights, including LED luminaries and communications capabilities, CNFL aims to improve the quality and reliability of its public lighting network, while also reducing operation and maintenance costs. This project supports the goals of the Clean Energy Finance Facility for the Caribbean and Central America (CEFF-CCA), an inter-agency initiative to catalyze greater public and private sector investment in clean energy infrastructure across Central America and the Caribbean.  Earlier this month, USTDA announced a CEFF-CCA grant for a similar smart street lighting project in Jamaica. These were the first grants signed under CEFF-CCA.

Left to Right: Faith Corneille, Senior Regional Energy Advisor at the U.S. Embassy in Costa Rica and CNFL General Manager, Víctor Solís Rodríguez. (USTDA/LEDinside)

“USTDA is pleased to partner with CNFL on this important energy efficiency project,” said Nathan Younge, Regional Director for Latin America and the Caribbean. “This project will allow CNFL to replace traditional street lights with a network of energy-saving LED street lights that the utility can continuously monitor and control throughout the greater San José metropolitan area. USTDA looks forward to continuing to support additional clean energy initiatives in the region.”

The grant was signed by CNFL General Manager Víctor Solís Rodríguez and by Senior Regional Energy Advisor at the U.S. Embassy in Costa Rica, Faith Corneille, on behalf of CNFL and the U.S. government, respectively.

Businesses interested in submitting proposals for this USTDA-funded feasibility study should visit the Federal Business Opportunities (FBO) website at www.fbo.gov.  A link to the FBO announcement will be posted to USTDA’s website at https://www.ustda.gov/business-opportunities.

Jamaican company applies for US grant to install smart LED streetlights

In early June, the USTDA also received a grant application from Jamaica Public Service Company (JPS) to develop smart streetlight technology in Jamaica. The full application statement can be seen below:

The Grantee (Jamaica Public Service Company Limited, "JPS") invites submission of qualifications and proposal data (collectively referred to as the "Proposal") from interested U.S. firms that are qualified on the basis of experience and capability to develop a Technical Assistance to assist the Grantee in "smart" street lighting throughout the Grantee's service area in Jamaica.

The Grantee is interested in installing networked LED streetlights, which will improve the quality and reliability of public lighting while at the same time reducing operating and maintenance costs. Specifically, JPS is seeking to replace nearly 105,000 high-pressure sodium, mercury vapor, and metal halide roadway luminaires with energy-efficient LED luminaires. The utility is also interested in incorporating communications infrastructure throughout the utility's network of street lights to provide additional functionality and complement its smart grid efforts. The Technical Assistance would provide technical, financial, economic, environmental, and developmental analyses regarding the installation of smart street lighting in Jamaica. The Technical Assistance would also provide a U.S. site visit for representatives from the Grantee to better understand smart street lighting technology and engage with U.S. vendors.

The U.S. firm selected will be paid in U.S. dollars from a US $425,350 grant to the Grantee from the U.S. Trade and Development Agency ("USTDA").