LED street lights last longer than high pressure sodium lights—about 12 years compared to 5.5 years—thereby significantly reducing maintenance costs. Moreover, LED lights provide much better illumination and color rendition at night, and can be directed to focus the light where it is needed, which improves public safety. They also reduce the sky glow—the artificial illumination of the night sky.

This is the City of Alameda’s second LED streetlight conversion project and it supports the city’s goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 25 percent below the 2005 baseline level. AMP plans to install more LED streetlight projects in the coming year.

The $107,000 project qualified for a $33,000 rebate under AMP’s “Commercial Lighting Retrofit Program,” which offers rebates and guidance to Alameda businesses and government agencies that install energy-efficient lighting. With an estimated annual energy savings of $26,069, AMP projects that the city will recoup its costs in less than three years.

The traffic signal street light replacement is underway now and is expected to be completed in mid-December.