Acuity Brands Lighting
Since adopting a greenhouse gas emission reduction policy in 201…
Maximizing the investment
With financing in place, the city began by reviewing its infrastructure inventory and new lighting standards, such as the amount of light needed for arterial versus residential streets. American Electric Lighting Autobahn LED luminaires from Acuity Brands were selected based on their initial fixture cost, cost to operate over time, and high efficacy, or the amount of lumens produced per watt of energy used.
The city replaced 100- and 200-watt HPS fixtures on residential streets with Autobahn ATBO 50-watt and 110-watt LED luminaires and substituted 400-watt fixtures at intersections and on major road with Autobahn ATB2 220-watt LED luminaires.
Initially, Slade and Woodruff considered installing LED luminaires as individual lights failed and in new areas of development. Although it would cost more upfront, a full-city installation of LED technology made the most sense. “If you don’t do a full replacement, you’re losing money,” says Feiten. “Not only do you miss out on the energy savings gained by converting all lights at once, you’ll pay more over time to buy luminaires in smaller quantities.”
A one-time installation can also reduce labor costs, as an experienced road lighting subcontractor can often complete the job more efficiently than city employees. The West Richland installation took about three weeks.
By opting for a full-city conversion, West Richland will also save almost 590,000 kilowatt hours of energy a year, or about the same amount consumed by 60 average U.S. homes. But changing the streetlights was only the first step.
Next page: Converting energy savings to cost savings
