By Stephen Vance, Staff
New Light-Emitting Diode (LED) street lighting will soon be installed on the streets of Meaford. In September, council approved a plan to covert the 720 streetlight fixtures in the municipality to LED technology: after the installation the energy consumption for Meaford’s streetlights will drop by more than 60 percent, and maintenance costs will drop by 80 percent according to the municipality.
“The Municipality of Meaford is always looking for opportunities to be more efficient and find more cost-effective, sustainable services. When LAS provided us with an opportunity for a streetlight conversion program, with potential energy savings of up to 61 percent, it fit in easily with the strategic goals of the Municipality,” said Mayor Barb Clumpus of the project.
In September, Meaford Treasurer Darcy Chapman told council that the municipality has 720 light fixtures that consume 483,063 kWh annually, at a cost to the municipality of nearly $95,000 for electricity costs plus an additional $11,000 annually for maintenance.
After the conversion to LED lighting is completed, Meaford’s electricity costs for street lights will drop to roughly $39,000 per year, and maintenance costs will all but be eliminated as a result of the conversion.
Converting to LED lighting will also mean that Meaford can avoid replacing its bucket truck when it reaches the end of its serviceable life, Chapman told council.
Chapman said that the municipality will finance the net cost of the LED conversion of $408,762 through an Infrastructure Ontario loan that will be repaid over a ten-year period. While concern for municipal debt is often expressed by ratepayers, Chapman assured council that in this case, debt is being taken on wisely.
The municipality has entrusted RealTerm Energy and its official partner LAS (Local Authority Services) with the task of providing a turnkey solution for the conversion of its 720 streetlights.
“Their LED Program provided industry expertise and analysis, providing full GIS mapping capability and long term asset data, which was something the Municipality did not have in-house,” confirmed Chapman. “The Municipality will also benefit from an IESO incentive of nearly $70,000 which will offset the total cost of the upgrade. As well, the energy cost savings will be utilized to offset capital costs over a ten-year period.”
The municipality says that in addition to consuming less energy, LED fixtures are also proven to reduce light pollution. Their beams are designed in such way to diffuse light in a more targeted manner than traditional streetlights, reducing glare and lighting only specific areas.
“Upgrading to LEDs is also an environmentally conscious choice, for it will allow Meaford to reduce its emission of greenhouse gases by 22 metric tonnes per year: the equivalent of the carbon removed by more than 560 tree seedlings grown for ten years,” said the municipality.
More than 130 Ontario municipalities have already appointed Realterm Energy and LAS for their LED streetlight upgrades, including Owen Sound, The Blue Mountains and Barrie.
