New LED Lights Will Save Calabasas Money, Energy Expenditure

CALABASAS, CA — Southern California Edison will replace Calabasas' streetlights with LED lights, meaning better night visibility and saved energy costs for the city.

Calabasas City Council on Feb. 22 unanimously passed the light replacement project, which will convert around 1,700 SCE-controlled lights in the city. The city and its residents will not incur any costs for the project, and the switched lights will actually save the city money in energy costs, according to John King, Manager of Street Light Acquisition and Projects for SCE.

SCE has installed some 300,000 LED lights across its territory including in Visalia, Joshua Tree National Park and Glendora, King said. The lights each take around ten minutes to upgrade during normal business hours and, in most cases, do not require traffic control or road closures, King said. In total, Calabasas' light replacement project will take at most three weeks. The wait time for SCE to begin replacing lights is around six months, King said.

"Most folks don't even know we've come and gone," King said.

The city had its pick between three different light temperatures, and opted for less intense and warmer lights in residential areas. LED lights offer the city a number of different advancements, including better light visibility, visual acuity, 60 percent lower energy usage and a less visually intrusive design, King said.

The lights comply with the city's Dark Sky Ordinance, and will last around 10-12 years each. Though they do not add any cost to the customer, the lights each take around $325 to replace, a price the city's savings will easily overwhelm, King said.

Council members raised a number of concerns, including resident complaints about lights that flash on and off. Unlike the city's existing lights, LED lights default to dark at the end of their lifespan, so flickering should only be an issue if there is a voltage problem, King said.

King assured council members SCE will work with the city to ensure any traffic control does not affect peak traffic times in congested areas, like around schools.