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11/14/2017 03:00 PMConversion from traditional sodium vapor streetlights to efficient LED (light-emitting diodes) versions should move one step closer this week with possible action by the Board of Finance (BOF) on project funding.
The Board of Selectmen (BOS) filed a notice with Eversource of its intent to buy the streetlights on town roads back in September. Then last month, the BOS approved two appropriations to support the purchase and conversion of the town’s streetlights. The recommendations for funding came before the BOF for action this week on Nov. 15.
The first request was for $180,000 for the town to buy from Eversource, the current owner, the town’s 525 streetlights. The second request is for $210,000 to support a contract with Siemens to replace the existing streetlight fixtures with LED bulb versions.
Three vendors submitted proposals to the town to perform streetlight conversion task.
An interview committee comprised of representatives from the town’s Energy Committee, BOS, and BOF evaluated the three vendor proposals and chose Siemens as their recommended vendor. Siemens brings local experience to the task. The firm has just completed an LED streetlight conversion project in Madison and is currently completing one in Old Saybrook.
According to Bill Fish of the Energy Committee, the net cost to the town for the streetlight conversion project is about $350,000. Once the LED bulbs are installed, the town expects a rebate of about $55,000 from the state’s Clean Energy Fund. Although this fund was diminished to help pay for the recently approved state budget, Fish said about $93.5 million remains available in the fund to support projects like these in 2018.
The funding requests, if approved by the BOF, move on to a Monday, Dec. 11 Town Meeting for action. If approved there, the town could engage the contractor to start the field work in the first quarter of 2018, with completion in the second quarter. Upon project completion, the town is eligible to request the state rebate.
“The Energy Committee plans to hold a public workshop during the week of Dec. 4 to answer questions about the streetlight project,” said Fish.
LED streetlights can be installed according to the intensity, color, and the pattern of light they cast on a road. For example, at an intersection, the preferred light pattern would be round, to reach to all four corners, but on residential streets, a more horizontal or oval pattern, one that confines the light to the road, is preferred. Measures of streetlights include a light’s lumens, the amount of light it casts, and the color, measured in Kelvin units. Westbrook’s projects will mostly rely on LED bulbs rated at about 3,000 Kelvin, bulbs that cast a white-yellow light.
Early LED bulbs and streetlights were rated at 4,000 Kelvin and cast a more blue-white light, which to many was too bright. New streetlight bulbs of Kelvin ratings of 3,000 or less still illuminate streets when lit, but cast a more natural-looking yellow-white light.
“Each LED fixture also is rated in backlight, uplight, and glare, called BUG ratings. LED streetlights in residential areas will have a 1, 0, 1, BUG rating, meaning low backlight, zero uplight and low glare,” said Fish. “The LEDs Westbrook will use are approved by the International Dark Sky Association.”
This approval means that the LED streetlights chosen will not add significant light to the night sky.
If the Town Meeting approves the streetlight project funding, the town plans to purchase and install sample LED streetlight bulbs of 4,000 Kelvin, 3,000 Kelvin, and with different light patterns and ratings so town residents can view the light each casts and compare.
“No street has been selected yet for these sample LED installations,” said Fish.
Residents interested in learning more about the LED streetlight project should watch for announcements in the coming weeks of the Energy Committee’s public workshop, planned for the first week of December.