City will save $6 million annually with LED street lights

_ (Via City of Ottawa) _

** Ottawa ** – The City of Ottawa is in the process of converting 58,000 streetlights to Light Emitting Diode (LED) technology, an initiative that, upon completion, will save the City an estimated $6 million annually.

The work is being done in partnership with Energy Ottawa, a subsidiary of Hydro Ottawa. Under the agreement, Energy Ottawa will install and maintain the new light infrastructure over a six-year period.

“I’m pleased to see the City of Ottawa and Energy Ottawa working together to spend money, energy and resources more efficiently,” said Mayor Jim Watson. “Even at this early stage of the conversion, we are already experiencing savings.”

Street lighting accounts for 17 per cent of the electricity used by the City. The conversion is expected to reduce energy consumption by 50 per cent per fixture. Since converting 750 lights on Carling Avenue in 2015, the City is already saving more than $72,000 annually.

“The City of Ottawa is committed to energy management as a key component of its operations,” said Councillor Keith Egli, Chair of the City’s Transportation Committee. “Extensive improvements in efficiency, output, and costs of LED over the last few years have made this technology the best choice for Ottawa residents, both in our neighbourhoods and in our wallets.”

In addition to energy reduction, the LED infrastructure provides the following benefits:

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reduced maintenance costs

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automatic notifications when lights fail

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greater light control

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greater light quality

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reduced light pollution

“Streetlights beautify our neighbourhoods and make our city a safer place to live,” said Bryce Conrad, President and CEO of Hydro Ottawa. “This was true in 1885, when Ottawa became the first city in the world to light all of its streets with electricity, and it’s true today as we update streetlights to energy-efficient LED technology that will decrease light pollution, improve light ambiance and save Ottawa residents millions of dollars in electricity every year.”

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