Streetlights around town are getting a makeover.
Fortis Alberta began replacing the high pressure sodium (HPS) bulbs in Okotoks streetlights on Sept. 21. Over the next four weeks, all lamps in town will be lit with light-emitting diode (LED) bulbs.
According to Fortis, the change will make street lamps more efficient, provide clearer light, increase safety and save the Town money.
“It’s good for the environment and it’s going to help the community save in the long run,” said Fortis spokesperson Natasha Russell.
She said the switch to LED lights on 1,600 lamps will save the Town approximately 675,000 kWh per year. The environmental impact is equivalent to removing 92 cars from the road, operating 87 homes or planting 19,820 trees, she said.
The move will also save the Town money. The LED lights are 50 per cent more energy efficient than HPS models and, they will last around 20 years, about five times longer than HPS bulbs, she said.
The benefits of LED lamps don’t end there, she said.
“There is also an improvement in safety and night visibility due to the more vibrant, clear and accurate white light,” said Russell. “And then additionally, they are dark-sky friendly with zero off-light.”
While the HPS lights give off a more yellow hue, she said LED will provide a more direct, white-coloured light that will improve drivers’ ability to see at night.
Nancy Weigel, Okotoks corporate and strategic services director, said the changeover from HPS to LED streetlights will result in a net savings to the Town of about $9,000.
Reducing greenhouse gas emissions is another positive effect of the new lights, she said.
“We do anticipate as time goes on the savings will increase as the costs rise and transmission costs go up as well,” said Weigel.
