By Michael P. Walsh
Special to the Voice
United Illuminating is converting the city’s 4,388 streetlights to environmentally friendly LED lighting, a move that will conserve energy while saving taxpayers an estimated $338,000 a year in electrical costs, Mayor Edward M. O’Brien announced.
O’Brien said UI is replacing the city’s existing high-pressure sodium streetlights with LED, or light-emitting diode, technology to provide a more energy-efficient, cost-effective product.
The Orange-based utility, which owns and maintains West Haven’s streetlights, is performing the work at no additional cost to the city, he said.
“I am extremely excited about the agreement we reached with UI to upgrade our city’s streetlights,” O’Brien said. “These new lights will improve our infrastructure, save us approximately $338,000 every year, and cost our taxpayers nothing. This is clearly a total win for West Haven.”
State Rep. Dorinda Borer, D-West Haven, added: “The 3,000 Kelvin color temperature LED option was chosen because it will still keep our streets properly illuminated for safety purposes but, at the same time, will do it in a way that is both environmentally friendly and healthy. The softer version will still keep with the integrity and feel of the neighborhoods. It’s not only a financial win, it’s a quality-of-life win.”
On Sept. 26, O’Brien signed a UI streetlight conversion contract calling for the utility to retrofit the city’s existing cobra-head streetlight fixtures and replace their existing high-pressure sodium lights with brighter, high-efficiency LED lights.
“We’re excited about this opportunity to help West Haven reduce its energy costs while providing high-quality, efficient LED lighting for city streets,” said Roddy Diotalevi, senior director of sales and external relations for UI. “Upgrading to LED street lighting is just one of the ways UI and its parent company, Avangrid Inc., are using technology to improve people’s lives and reduce harmful impacts on the environment.”
In late 2015, the city converted the interior and exterior lights to LED at its Beach Street wastewater treatment plant and 13 pumping stations.
O’Brien said the LED lights use significantly less energy than the high-pressure sodium lights they are replacing, reducing the city’s energy costs and contribution to global warming.
The retrofit and installation of the new lights is expected to begin in early 2018, he said.