Ann Arbor to convert all downtown street lights to LED

17 October 2007

Mayor John Hieftje of Ann Arbor, Michigan has announced that the city will be the first in the United States to install light-emitting diodes (LEDs) in all of its downtown street lights.

Hieftje estimated that it would take two years to replace all 1, 046 of Ann Arbor’s 120-watt incandescent downtown street lights with the 56-watt LEDs. The project will cost US $630,000.

Once completed, project officials estimate that the conversion will save the city $100,000 a year in energy costs and lead to a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to taking 400 cars off the road for a year. Heightened visibility and safety as a result of improved light quality is expected to be another positive outcome of the project.

[Editor's note: Whilst 56W LEDs represent a reduction on 120W incandescents, they are not as efficient as 20W compact flourescents, another alternative to the incandescents.]

Other cities that have installed LED lights in their downtown areas are Raleigh, N.C., and Toronto, Canada but these cities haven't yet committed to a full conversion.

Ann Arbor is aiming to be national leader in energy efficiency, and is already receiving recognition for its efforts. Earlier this year, the LED street lighting project won Ann Arbor the ICLEI U.S.A. Climate Innovation Invitational award. In addition, Ann Arbor was featured at the New York City Climate Summit 2007. 

For more information, see the following article.