Improving efficiency in municipal street and public lighting.
Efficiency Vermont’s Municipal Street Lighting program is designed to help Vermont municipalities upgrade their older, less efficient lighting technologies in street and public spaces with energy-efficient light emitting diode (LED) lighting.
Street lighting can account for one-quarter of a municipality’s electrical bill. With light emitting diode (LED) lighting, municipalities can significantly reduce energy use, resulting in lower energy costs, and improve the nighttime environment in the community.
Now is an excellent time for municipalities to consider converting to LED street lighting:
- Reduced LED costs: LED street lighting technologies have vastly improved and have dropped significantly in cost.
- Financial incentives: Efficiency Vermont is offering financial incentives to help offset some of the costs associated with converting to LED lighting.
- LED tariffs: Many of Vermont's utilities now offer tariffs for LED street lighting that can offer financial savings to municipalities compared to current tariffs.
As part of the Municipal Street Lighting Program, Efficiency Vermont is encouraging municipalities to evaluate their present use of older, less efficient street and public space lighting, eliminate unnecessary lighting, and replace remaining lighting with LED lighting systems. Efficiency Vermont provides guidance and technical assistance to help Vermont municipalities update their street lighting inventory, identify opportunities for eliminating unnecessary lighting, evaluate the relative costs and benefits of purchasing versus leasing lighting, and prepare a scope of work for converting fixtures to LEDs.
To help municipalities get started, Efficiency Vermont has developed the step-by-step guide, Efficiency Vermont's Guide to Improving Efficiency in Municipal Street and Public Space Lighting (pdf 878 kb). In addition, Efficiency Vermont is planning workshops for municipalities on how to implement a municipal street lighting project - stay tuned for details.
If your municipality is interested in lowering your energy costs by converting to LED street lighting, please contact Efficiency Vermont’s Customer Support department toll-free at 888-921-5990.
Light Meter Loan Program
Municipalities and regional planning commissions can borrow high-quality light meters from Efficiency Vermont for 30 days. These meters help to measure lighting levels and ensure that current and planned lighting levels are appropriate for specific outdoor applications -- a crucial step in identifying what street lights can be eliminated. If you are interested in borrowing a meter, please contact Efficiency Vermont at info@veic.org or 888-921-5990.