October 2007

The Action Steps

Ann Arbor plans to become the first U.S. city to convert 100% of its downtown streetlights to energy-efficient LED technology. In 2007, the process began, and the City expects to install 1,045 LED streetlights over a two-year period. LED lights typically burn five times longer than the bulbs they replace and require less than half the energy. Each fixture draws 56 watts and is projected to last 10 years, replacing fixtures with bulbs that use more than 120 watts and last only two years. The City anticipates a 3.8-year payback on its initial investment.

The Savings

Each globe streetlight that is retrofitted to LED will save $107 per year in energy and maintenance costs, for a total savings of approximately $112,000 per year. Once all the streetlights have been retrofitted, the City expects to cut its public lighting energy use in half and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 2,425 tons of CO2 per year – the equivalent of taking 400 cars off the road for one year.

Ann Arbor's lighting project gained national attention, and follows a decade of commitment to energy efficiency measures in its buildings and infrastructure. In fact, Ann Arbor has saved $7,000,000 since 1998 through energy efficiency measures.

[Sources: Cree, Inc.; Ann Arbor Downtown Development Authority]