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Posted:11:30a.m.Monday,June20,2016

HamiltonswitchestoLEDlightsforbettersafety,lower
energycosts

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ByJeffO'Rear
StaffWriter
HAMILTONOverthenextdecade,Hamiltonresidentswillnoticethefamiliarorangeglowofstreetlightsgivingwaytoanewer,crisperlightdesignedtoincreasesafetyandlower
energycosts.
Startedin2015withascheduledcompletionin2025,thecityisreplacingnearly9,000streetlightswithnewerLEDlights.Theprojectwillcostaround$5milliontotaltocompleteor
$500,000ayearovertheprojects10years.
JimMarshall,electricityandutilitiesengineeringmanagerforHamilton,saidthecityisplanningtoreplacearound900lightsperyeartofinishtheprojectby2025.
Thenewlightswillhelpincreasesafetyanddecreasethecityselectricbill,Marshallsaid.
TheLEDlightsarenotreallybrighterbutthatstheperception,Marshallsaid.Itsjustahigherqualitylight.Thepurposeofthelightsisnotreallyforsecurity.Itsfortheavoidingof
vehicletovehicleorvehicletopedestrianconflict.
InthoseareaswiththeLEDlights,youregettingabetterqualitylightandwerehopingthatwillimprovesafetyinthoseplaces.
SafetyisoneofthereasonsNoraMollmann,ownerofLambikinsHideawayYarnandStitcheryonSouthBStreet,welcomesthenewlights.
HerbusinessislocatedinanareawhereLEDlightinstallationrecentlyoccurred.Shesaidtherehasbeenoneinstanceinherfiveyearsowningthebusinesswheresomeonetriedto
breakin.
Itwouldhelpilluminatemybusinesstomakeitmorenoticeableifsomebodywasprowlingaround,shesaid.
Mollmannsaidsheisalsothankfulthatvisibilitywhiledrivingonthecitysstreetswillimprove.
Whilehedidnothaveanexactnumberonhowmuchthecitywillsaveoncetheinstallationiscomplete,MarshallestimatesHamiltonsstreetlightenergyconsumptionwilldecreaseby
30to50percent.AccordingtoaForbesreport,streetlightsaccountfornearly40percentofanaveragecityselectriccosts.
Alongerlifespanwillalsohelpsavemoney.ThenewerLEDlightslastforaround20years,nearlyathirdlongerthanthetraditionallights.
Thatalsosavesusinourroutinemaintenance,Marshallsaid.Yourenotoutreplacingbulbsasoftenasinthestandardfixtures.
Tohelpmeetthe2025deadline,thecityistakingatwophaseapproachtoreplacingthelights.Citycrewswillreplacelightsthatrequireimmediatemaintenance.Anoutsidecontractor
willworkonreplacinglightsnotneedingmaintenance.Residentscanexpectlaneclosuresperiodicallythroughthecityastheprojectcontinues.
Thecitymaintainsitsownstreetlights,butinotherareasofButlerCounty,DukeEnergymaintainsmoststreetlightsonpublicroadsthroughagreementswiththecountyand
townships.
SallyThelen,aDukeEnergyspokesperson,saidthecompanydoesnotcurrentlyhaveplanstoreplaceexistingstreetslightsinButlerCountytoLEDlights.DukeEnergycustomers
canrequestanLEDstreetlightreplacementonprivateproperty.
ThingscouldchangeinthefutureonhowthecompanywantstohandlereplacingolderdeviceswithLEDs,butatthistimethosechangesareonlyperformedattherequestofthe
customerandnotatthediscretionofthecompany,Thelensaid.
Asidefromthedecreasedenergyconsumption,Marshallsaidtherewereotherreasonsthatplayedintothedecisiontoswitch.
ThequalityoftheLED,measuredinlumens,ishigherwithLEDbulbs.LEDlightsalsocarryahigherColorRenderingIndex(CRI)valuethantraditionallights.
Wevebeenusinghighpressuresodiumlightsthathaskindofanorangeglowtoit,theyhaveaCRIof22,Marshallsaid.TheLEDshaveaCRIofapproximately70,withsome
lightsbeing100.YougetamuchtruercolorwiththeLEDs.
Acrossthecounty,othercitieshavestartedorcompletedprogramstoreplacetheirstreetlightswithLEDlights.Inafouryearperiod,LosAngeleshasreplacedover140,000
streetlightswithLEDs,reducingenergyconsumptionby63.1percent,accordingtothecity.
InareportissuedJune14,LosAngelesestimatedenergysavingsfromtheconversiontobearound$9millionannually.

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