Streetlight Conversion Project Moving Right Along

With a boost from a $352,00 federal grant, city of Novato is aiming this summer to wrap up conversion of 1,400 streetlights, or 35 percent of the city’s system, to cost-cutting LED fixtures. The move will reduce energy usage by 480,000 kilowatt‐hours per year, an expected ongoing savings of $57,000, according to the city's director of public works.

In short: The city's power bill will be cut in half.

Right now, crews are winding down a portion of the project involving 850 streetlights getting switched out from the old standard fixtures.

"Work is currently under way on the Phase II streetlight conversions and should be completed in early July," Jason Nutt said.

The city, on the hunt to reduce ongoing costs in every nook and cranny of its expense budget, hopes to slash its electrical bill that powers 3,900 streetlights throughout the town. It's being done through the use of a Federal Energy Efficiency Community Block Grant to take out the standard High‐Pressure Sodium fixtures and install more efficient Light‐Emitting Diode fixtures.

During the installation process, the city secured a zero-percent interest financing deal with PG&E to convert an additional 550 streetlight fixtures to LED and install more than 300 programmable photocells on the converted streetlights, Nutt said. The photocells combine the typical photocells that turn streetlights on and off with ambient light changes using a common household timer. The result allows the streetlights to turn on at dusk, off at midnight, back on at 5:30 a.m. and off again at dawn.

City staff has conducted day and night inspections and identified locations for the programmable photocells. In general, the devices will be installed on alternating streetlights while maintaining existing lighting at intersections, bus stops, pedestrian crossings, and other areas where lighting provides an added safety benefit. The strategy maintains general traffic safety while reducing the number of lights on during non‐active hours.

In addition to the fiscal benefits, this project also provides environmental benefits through the reduction of 247,500 lbs of carbon dioxide greenhouse gas emissions per year.

Each of the streetlights fitted with a programmable photocell will be identified with a placard or sticker.

Want to learn more about the project? Check the city's new web page about it.