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Project Overview
As part of a Countywide effort on sustainability, Public Works in coordination with Southern California Edison (SCE), are in the process of converting approximately 60,000 streetlights within the unincorporated communities of Los Angeles County from High-Pressure Sodium (HPS) lighting to energy-efficient Light Emitting Diode (LED) technology, anticipated to conclude in Fall 2023.
No new streetlights will be installed as part of the streetlight conversion project. The existing HPS lamps will be replaced by equivalent LED lamps providing the same level of illumination.
Project Background
Streetlights are a significant source of energy consumption, and in many cases, the largest utility expense for many municipalities. Over the years, advancements in lighting technologies have aimed to improve on energy efficiency, service life, and lighting quality.
LED lighting is the latest lighting technology to provide unprecedented energy efficiency, increased lamp life, and improved visibility over its HPS predecessor. As a result, HPS lighting is becoming increasingly obsolete and is rapidly being replaced by LED lighting as the standard roadway lighting technology.
Since 2015, Public Works has been proactively converting lighting infrastructure to LED technology to take advantage of substantial benefits (see Project Goals and Benefits section) while adapting to an ever-changing lighting industry. In 2018, Public Works completed the Countywide conversion of safety lighting at intersections controlled by traffic signals to LED lighting.
All new streetlight installations use LED lamp fixtures. Building on this progress, Public Works is now focused on converting the 60,000+ streetlights located within the unincorporated communities of Los Angeles County to LED lighting.
Project Goals and Benefits
Goal 1: Support the County’s efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and meet sustainability objectives. The LED conversion project will:
- Reduce streetlight energy consumption by approximately 45% or 16 million kilowatt-hours annually (enough to power 2,400 homes for a year).
- Reduce the County’s carbon footprint and assist in meeting carbon neutrality by 2045 as outlined in the County’s Climate Action Plan.
Goal 2: Promote green technologies and innovations to enhance the wellness and quality of life for the communities of Los Angeles County. The LED conversion project will:
- Reduce light pollution by utilizing LED lamp fixtures that are Dark Sky compliant and direct little to no light above the lamp. See figure 1.
- Improve nighttime visibility and awareness for motorists and pedestrians by utilizing LED lamp fixtures with improved lighting uniformity, distribution, and color rendering. See figure 2
- Reduce light trespass while providing sufficient illumination levels for roadway and sidewalk surfaces by utilizing LED lamp fixtures that direct light downward and prevent overspill onto adjacent real properties. See figure 3.
- Reduce environmental impact by utilizing LED lamp fixtures that contain no mercury or lead and are 100% recyclable.
Goal 3: Pursue operational effectiveness, fiscal responsibility, and accountability. The LED conversion project will:
- Reduce the frequency of streetlight outages and provide maintenance and energy savings by utilizing energy-efficient LED lamp fixtures with a lifespan 4 times longer than existing HPS lighting.
- Ensure the sustainability of the County’s street lighting operations and program by shifting from outdated technologies to emerging and proven technologies.
- Provide eligibility to the County to secure approximately $4.4 million in energy efficiency incentives from SCE.
Project Approach and Timeline
Public Works is taking a two-pronged approach to convert the 60,000+ streetlights located within the unincorporated County areas to LED. Most communities are served by streetlights either owned by the County or SCE.
Phase 1 – County contractor (Siemens Mobility Inc.) is converting County-owned streetlights to LED utilizing a 2700 Kelvin color temperature rated fixture.
This accounts for approximately half (or 30,000) of the streetlights in the unincorporated County areas. A tentative timeline of this conversion can be found on the side bar.
Phase 2 – Public Works entered into an agreement with SCE to convert SCE-owned streetlights to LED utilizing a 2700 Kelvin color temperature rated fixture, which accounts for the remaining half (or 30,000) of the streetlights in the unincorporated County areas. A tentative timeline of this conversion can be found on the side bar.
Both Phase 1 and Phase 2 of the County’s LED conversion project are expected to conclude in the Summer of 2024.
Contacts
Answers to many of the common questions asked by residents on LED conversion can be found in the Frequently Asked Questions Document.
For further questions please contact our street lighting hotline at (800) 618-7575