Should We Spend Some More Time Exploring LED Lighting For Downtown?
Hopefully by now you’ve read my Sunday story on the debate over using LED lighting downtown (read story here).
You can read more about Ann Arbor’s LED street light program here. Or read a white paper on the program here.
And you can vote on whether you think Oklahoma City should invest more time researching this matter here (poll closes 9 a.m. Wednesday):
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Comments
Great article on Sunday, Steve. I voted for option #2, but I would even be happy with option #3. If city leaders really feel they cannot wait, then at least design lights that can be retro-fitted later.
In fact, why couldn’t they do one of the following: (1) Work on the designs of all non-streetlight options first while studying LEDs and making a decision there. Then the lighting part of the project can catch up to the rest when the research is done. (2) Design a streetlight that can be retro-fitted later or even as the project goes along (i.e. if by 2011 they determine LED is the way to go, all those lights from that point forward through the end of the project can be installed as LED originally).
Hello;
My name is Konrad Kwiatkowski, and I am an owner of Interstate Solar Utilities, based out of Old Mystic, CT. We are a local, Connecticut renewable energy company, and one of the products we distribute is a LED street light engine. It retrofits into an existing fixture i.e. cobraheads and shoebox style, a 150 Watt bulb becomes a 46 Watt LED light engine. Made in the USA, these LED retrofits last for 25 years maintenance free, further extandig the savings. They are Energy Star certified and qualify for all incentives. Please do not hesitate to contact me, and I am hoping to be able to make an appointment to give you a quick demo of this new technology.
Thank you for your time,
Konrad Kwiatkowski
Managing Partner
Interstate Solar Utilities, llc
11 Main Street
Old Mystic, CT 06355
860-572-0089
http://www.isuglobal.com
Great investigation and Sunday article, Steve. Really glad you are leading this charge and asking some tough questions.
Longer term cost savings is certainly a good reason to investigate LED further, but it’s not the only one. The city is the biggest consumer of energy in Oklahoma and should be setting an example by minimizing its consumption. Not only is that better for the environment, it will reduce the need for more infrastructure and promote OKC as a forward-thinking community.
As long as it’s practical and close on cost, there are lots of other reasons to go down this path.