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High-Tech LED Lights in Town Center Save Money
New ultra-efficient LED lighting in the Town Center area will pay for itself in a little more than 2 years, thanks to a grant from local utility Puget Sound Energy.
The city of Mercer Island began an energy efficiency retrofit of all 228 decorative streetlights in the Town Center area this week, according to a City Hall news release, replacing 100-watt metal halide lamps with new LED lamps that use just 35 watts each.
The first phase of the project will cost almost $34,000, which is offset by a conservation grant from Puget Sound Energy (PSE) for 50 percent of the total. According to PSE's calculations, the cost savings in energy alone are $8,180 per year, leading to an impressive 2.1 year payback after the grant is deducted. LED lamps also last three to four times as long. Phase 1 of the project includes the vertical decorative lampposts in town center; Phase 2 will include the higher streetlights as funding permits.
Learn more about LED streetlamp benefits City of Mercer Island's website.
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