Ashland, a city located in Oregon. U.S. has replaced some 33,670 decorative incandescent lights with LEDs in the city hall during this Christmas season, reported Ashland Daily Tidings.
Differences between the warm color LED decorative string lights and incandescent lights were barely noticeable. The city had wanted to replace the lights for some years, but LED lighting technology was immature at the time.
“We tried it three or four years ago and it cast a strange hue, sort of a bluish color so we switched it back,”said Adam Hanks, a management analyst for the City of Ashland.“The technology has really improved.”
LEDs long lifetime resulting in lower maintenance costs, would save the city about 32 watts of energy for every 100 LED bulb per string.
The city hall is also aiming to set an example of using LED lighting to encourage businesses, homes and schools to switch to the energy saving light sources.Home and business lighting tend to consume more energy than holiday lightings.
The Oregon Department of Energy is also promoting the usage of LEDs in decorations, and the LED lighting industry has created a wider spectrum of colors. Experts at the Energy Trust of Oregon, a nonprofit organization based in Portland, is also encouraging consumers to switch to more efficient lighting.