As winter enters its final weeks, the City of Eugene is nearing the end of its streetlight bulb replacement program that’s shedding a new cost-saving light on City streets.
Crews are replacing nearly 5,000 high pressure sodium (HPS) luminaire on City streetlights with a new light emitting diode (LED) fixture. The new LED lights reduce energy consumption by about 69% and also cut greenhouse gas emissions because they require less energy.
The program is also proving to be cost-effective. The City is saving about $10,000 per month in electricity and maintenance, according to Patrick Cox, Eugene Civil Engineer and project manager. The new LED fixtures are expected to last 20 years, considerably longer than the HPS bulbs they’re replacing. Over the next 20 years, it’s projected the City will save $2.3 million in electricity and $1 million on maintenance when compared to the previous fixtures.
While the new streetlights may appear brighter, they’re producing less light than their predecessors. The light output from the LEDs, measured in lumens, is less than half what the HPS bulbs produced.
The City-wide installation of the new LED lights is estimated to be 80% complete. The project is expected to be finished by early-April.
The project cost an estimated $1.5 million, however the City will receive more than $660,000 in rebates and tax credits.
There are more than 10,000 streetlights inside the City.