POWASSAN, ON – Installation is in progress in Powassan, Ontario to upgrade the current streetlight system to light emitting diodes (LED) to provide significant energy efficiency and cost savings and improve lighting quality. The project will replace the 227 fixtures and is expected to help reduce Powassan’s energy costs by 65% and reduce maintenance costs by 80% because LEDs last up to four times longer than the town’s existing streetlights.
The upgrade is one of the energy-efficient initiatives established in the Municipality’s 2014 Energy Conservation & Demand Management Plan that set goals for energy and greenhouse gas reduction over the next 5 years. “By converting from conventional lighting to environmentally friendly LEDs, the municipality is expected to save 65% on street lighting energy costs. This will reduce the environmental impact of the municipality’s operations and create a culture of conservation. It will also encourage long-term sustainability of our natural environment by avoiding light trespass and beautifying our community while enhancing security”, said Susanne Phillips, Administrative Assistant.
The project requires no municipal capital since it is financed through an innovative cost-saving strategy known as an Energy Savings Performance Contracting (ESPC). The ESPC is structured to fund the project’s financing with the money saved in the annual energy-efficiency of the system.
In the last 12 months, more than 100 Ontario municipalities have chosen RealTerm Energy and Ontario’s Local Authority Services (LAS) to act as project manager and installer of their LED streetlight upgrade including Burk’s Falls, McDougall and Barrie.
Powassan Project Overview
Total number of fixtures | 227 |
Electrical consumption savings | 65% |
Greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction over life of luminaire | 13 metric tonnes over lifetime of LEDs – the equivalent of the GHG removed by more than 333 tree seedlings grown for ten years. |