“By undertaking the largest installation of energy-efficient LED street lights in Canada, Penetanguishene has challenged other municipalities to demonstrate similar leadership,” Peter Love, Ontario’s chief energy conservation officer, told councillors at a meeting Monday night.
To date, the town has installed 278 LED street lights, each requiring just 104 kilowatts to operate. More than one-third of Penetanguishene’s old 285-kilowatt, mercury-vapour lights have been replaced.
The new lights are expected to cut the town’s production of greenhouse gases by 193 tonnes each year, and reduce annual energy consumption by about 176,000 kilowatt-hours.
John Boucher, director of public works, estimated that will translate to between $7,000 and $10,000 in savings.
Mayor Anita Dubeau, who credited Boucher with bringing the technology to council’s attention, said the savings will go toward the town’s overall operating budget.
“(The LED initiative) shows leadership and it shows that we are progressive,” she said.
Boucher pointed out energy savings are only part of the picture.
“The payback’s in the maintenance because these lights are supposed to be good for at least 100,000 hours (or almost 25 years),” he said, noting the old type need to be replaced every four or five years.
The town is predicting overall annual savings will approach $26,000.
Dubeau said a provincial grant paid the entire $475,000 bill for the project.
“When he heard there was funding available … we, as a council, decided we would send in an application and see how lucky we might get,” she said. “To our astonishment, we received 100 per cent funding for this project.”
The money came in handy, said Boucher, as the $1,200 LED street lights are more than five times the cost of the old-style lights.
Light produced by LED technology is whiter and more intense than the illumination from the old mercury-vapour lights. Each of the new street lights consists of 80 small LED lights bundled together.
tmealing@simcoe.com
