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If you’re an advocate of the environment, you probably want to live in a city that shares your concern for taking better care of the environment. The good news is that some cities in the US are switching to LED streetlights as part of their efforts to reduce their overall power consumption, thereby reducing their carbon footprint.
Below are 6 examples of US cities that have led the way in switching to energy efficient LED streetlights.
Ouray, Colorado
This small city in southwestern Colorado is a hotspot for hikers and ice climbers, as well as tourists from around the country who want to see the Milky Way at night.
Although some might think LED streetlights are too bright for a city known for its stargazing, the directional beam spread of LEDs actually reduces light pollution, provided the lights are directed towards the ground, of course.
Ouray is the first city in the state to switch to LED streetlights, having done so in 2009.
Seattle, Washington
Local officials in Seattle began switching to LED lighting in 2007. By 2014, they had completely replaced all residential streetlights—then lit by sodium lights—to LEDs.
According to city representatives, switching to LED streetlights has already helped save taxpayers money.
Depending on their progress, the city government estimates that streetlights on arterial roadways will be powered by LED light bulbs as far south as Seattle’s city limits by the middle of 2017.
Las Vegas, Nevada
One of the brightest cities on the planet is also shifting to LED streetlights.
The city collaborated with New York-based EnGoPLANET for an off-the-grid solar- and pedestrian-powered system of LED streetlights in the Arts District’s Boulder Plaza. What makes the system eve more interesting is how it features footpads in the sidewalk also harvest kinetic energy from pedestrians to help generate more electricity for the lights.
Las Vegas aims to draw 100 percent of the energy it uses from renewable sources. Aside from switching to energy efficient streetlights, Las Vegas is in the middle of a massive solar energy project.
Los Angeles, California
Over the past few years, the City of Los Angeles has been replacing their streetlights with LED bulbs.
By 2013, they completed the world’s largest LED street light replacement project, replacing more than 141,000 streetlights with LEDs. The city is also planning to retrofit 70,000 decorative street lamps with LEDs.
By switching to LED streetlights, Los Angeles officials calculate energy savings amounting to at least $7 million, plus $2.5 million in annual avoided maintenance costs.
Austin, Texas
As many as 35,000 high-pressure sodium streetlights in Austin were replaced with LEDs in 2013 as part of the city’s Energy Efficient Street Light Evaluation process.
Austin’s new LEDs are said to offer as much as 70 percent in energy savings compared to traditional street lighting solutions. The upgrade is estimated to help the city save more than $200,000 in electricity costs.
New York City
The City That Doesn’t Sleep has around 250,000 streetlights equipped with LEDs. New York City’s energy-efficient LEDs streetlights are estimated to help save the city approximately $6 million in energy and $8 million in maintenance a year.
In 2009, New York rolled out new LEDs to illuminate streets and sidewalks in Central Park and along the FDR Drive. New York is also collaborating with the US Department of Energy and the Climate Group to develop an LED pilot program that will further minimize the City’s greenhouse gas emissions and improve energy efficiency.
If you’ve already made the switch to LEDs in your Scottsdale home and are wondering if your city is doing the same, call your city hall or congressman’s office to see what efforts are currently in action.
