The city of Collinsville plans to retrofit its street lights with LEDs.
The city's new commercial LED lighting will replace high-intensity discharge lamps that used to illuminate Collinsville streets. The LEDs are projected to last 10 years before they need to be replaced. The extended lifetime will lead to savings on replacement and maintenance costs. Additionally, the bulbs are more energy efficient to reduce energy consumption.
With an LED commercial lighting system, the city expects to save $12,000 a year in energy costs and $108,000 when labor costs are included. Collinsville will only spend $11,969 on the project because of a 75 percent rebate from the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity. At that price, the city will pay off their investment in a year with the energy savings alone.
Many governments offer reimbursements on the installation of sustainable lighting solutions. These refunds come in the form of rebate programs or energy performance contracts. Both options cut down or eliminate the cost of installation, and the facility continues to rake in revenue from the savings after the equipment is paid off.
Why LED lighting systems are the appropriate choice
LED retrofits provide more versatile lighting than other options.
They work in a wide range of temperatures. LEDs are functional in temperatures up to 135 degrees and in temperatures below freezing. In the frigid winter months, the new Collinsville fixtures won't fail when the snow comes down.
Compared to other lighting options, LED commercial lighting fixtures have more color options. They are available in color temperatures above 4000K. Additionally, their color rendering provides a lighting experience that is as close to ambient light as possible. On the low end, they have an 80-CRI and can go up to 95-CRI.
With the quality provided by the lights and the energy contracting options, facility managers save on time and money.
A report by Anne Vazquez for Today's Facility Manager confirms that low voltage LED lighting is the right choice for Collinsville's application as well as indoor commercial lighting.
"The initial cost is something to consider, but the benefits of LED energy savings and maintenance savings due to a much longer time before failure make a higher installment cost well worth the effort," Vazquez stated. "In addition, many state and local utilities offer significant rebates that can pay for up to half the cost of the installation in certain areas."
Rather than spending money on a less efficient system, facilities managers and municipalities should invest in a commercial LED lighting system to get continual savings and products that last.
