Harpswell, ME (November 16, 2022) – A contractor installed 144 LED streetlights throughout Harpswell in late October and early November, after delays in the project. The replacement of high-intensity discharge lights with more durable and efficient light-emitting diode fixtures will reduce the town’s carbon footprint and limit light pollution, while saving money on energy and maintenance.

The town contracted Maryland-based RealTerm Energy to install the cobra head-style fixtures on existing utility poles. RealTerm subcontracted the job to Maine-based On Target Utility Services.

The work started Oct. 26 and was “substantially complete” as of Nov. 7, according to Mark Carter, a RealTerm executive who lives in Pownal. Installation had been expected to start in July, but issues that included availability of the contractor and hardware pushed it into the fall.

The project will pay for itself in four years, according to Carter. The budget comes to $74,734, of which $64,094 will go to RealTerm and $10,640 to Central Maine Power Co. to acquire the old lights. The LED lights will use 69% less energy than the old lights, so the annual electricity bill will drop from $23,103 to $5,456, a savings of $17,647.

The town selected lights with a “correlated color temperature” of 2200 Kelvin, similar to the old lights but lower than most LED streetlights. Harpswell will be the first municipality in Maine to install 2200 K streetlights, according to Carter.

Read the full article on Harpswell Anchor.

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