Sioux Falls Loves Seeing the Light According to LED Survey
It started with six areas around the city. With the positive response so far, the effort to change how Sioux Falls neighborhoods are illuminated will push forward.
On Monday, the City of Sioux Falls released the results of a survey that looked to gauge the reception of LED streetlights. The pilot project replaced 65 high-pressure sodium (HPS) streetlights with energy-efficient light-emitting diode (LED) streetlights. The new streetlights are expected to last at least 100,000 hours and will provide the same amount of light, but use about half as much energy, as the existing HPS streetlights.
According to a press release, the City explained the extra step of installing the new bulbs on metered circuits to allow officials to track the energy consumption of the LED lights and compare them to the traditional HPS lights. For the past four months, officials have been tracking the meters, and the results show energy savings beyond what was originally anticipated.
“We expected to see anywhere between 30 to 50 percent energy reduction with the new LED lights,” says Light and Power Superintendent Jerry Jongeling. “Our most recent metrics show that we are able to run an LED streetlight for 11 cents per day, in comparison to the 33 cents per day we spend to power a standard 250-watt HPS light. This is a cost savings of more than 50 percent, even before adding in the maintenance expense savings.”
In addition to measuring energy and cost savings, City officials also wanted to gauge the reaction of Sioux Falls residents on the quality and feel of the lights. According to a survey about the pilot project, 99 percent of respondents said they would recommend expanding the LED lighting program to more neighborhoods throughout town.
The survey results show that 97 percent feel the street is better lit with the new LED lights. The new LED lights make the street and surrounding area safer to 94 percent of respondents. Up to 92 percent feel the quality of the LED lights is better compared to HPS lights. When asked if they would prefer the new LED lights 93 percent said yes.
“It was important for us to gather feedback from the public about their impression of the quality and aesthetics of the new streetlights,” states Sustainability Coordinator Jessica Lantgen. “Sustainability is all about the triple bottom line: people, environment, and economy. In the case of the LED lights, we knew they would consume less electricity, which will in turn promote our environmental initiatives and provide cost savings. However, we wanted to incorporate the social aspect by making sure that residents responded positively to the new lights. In this case, the survey results show the LED lights have improved the quality of lighting in these neighborhoods, which, as a result, promotes outdoor recreation and safety.”
Based on the positive results from the light metering and public survey, additional funds have been allocated in the 2016 proposed budget to expand the LED streetlight territory in Sioux Falls. The City Council will need to approve the 2016 budget by the end of September.
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