Cities across Minnesota are finding real savings converting their streetlights to LEDs. In partnership with Lake Country Power (LCP), the City of Tamarack used a CERTs grant to upgrade its street lights from old sodium and mercury vapor lights to more efficient, longer-lasting, and more reliable LED lights. LCP also replaced the old wiring with more energy-efficient wiring. The improvements are expected to produce a savings of $2.00 per light bulb per month.
THE PROCESS
Beginning in the fall of 2013, motivated by several letters received from area residents and businesses about the need for new, clean and efficient lighting, the City of Tamarack consulted with LCP about upgrading its street lights with high-efficiency LED bulbs. Tamarack and LCP developed a work order by January of 2014, and the project began the following month.
Throughout the process, LCP staff, City councilmembers and Tamarack Mayor Robert Johnson worked closely to ensure timely and efficient implementation. The City Council also maintained a public dialogue about the progress of the upgrades, informing and updating Tamarack residents during the monthly City Meetings.
In addition to improving the energy efficiency of the street lights, project staff transferred two street lights from a low-traffic area to the city park and City Hall, improving safety and visibility in those areas. Since the project’s completion in July, LCP staff have checked on the new street lights several times and upgraded their wiring.
THE RESULTS
The City of Tamarack’s upgraded street lights are clean, energy efficient lighting sources that do not give off light pollution, and the City has received many compliments on the quality of the new bulbs. City residents report an increased sense of safety and are pleased with the City’s expected energy cost savings. While energy cost savings did not occur during the summer months, the City expects to see a noticeable reduction in cost once daylight decreases during the winter season.
Due to the favorable process and outcome of this project, the City Council and the Mayor’s office are exploring new ways to save energy resources. They have also received exciting proposals from citizens with visions of how to utilize the new energy cost savings, including initiatives to support city youth and elderly neighbors. Tamarack has a strong affiliation with CERTs; the city is very satisfied with the support CERTs provided for this initiative, and they look forward to future projects and collaboration.
THE PLAYERS
- City of Tamarack: Many representatives of the city government were involved in the street lights upgrade, including Mayor Robert Johnson, City Clerk Beth Fredrickson and various city councilmembers. The Mayor in particular served as a liaison between the city and LCP in the planning, development and final stages of the project.
- Lake Country Power: Lake Country Power, a member-owned electric cooperative in northeast Minnesota, worked closely with the City of Tamarack to implement the street light upgrades. Jeff Sheldon, the Manager of Energy Services and Business Development, oversaw the entirety of the project, provided expertise and technical knowledge, and ensured that the city met budget and timeline goals.
PROJECT DETAILS
- Existing Lighting:
- 11 HPS x .126 KW x 4,380 hrs/year = 6,071 kWh/yr
- 14 MV x .205 KW x 4,380 hrs/year = 12,571 kWh/yr
- Total Energy Consumed = 18,642 kWh/yr
- New Lighting:
- 25 LED x .060 KW x 4,380 hrs/year = 6,570 kWh/yr (see product specs)
- Total Energy Saved = 12,072 kWh/yr
- The Money:
- $5,000 NE CERT Seed Grant
- $7,056 Total Project Cost
Want to learn even more? Click here to see the CERTs webpage on LED Street Lighting >>
Is your local government interested in upgrading to LED street lighting? You should consider the Guaranteed Energy Savings Program to finance the improvements.
About the Local Government Energy Action Series:
This effort tells the stories of Minnesota municipalities, counties, and schools and the tangible results of their energy-saving efforts to inspire others to take their own actions.
Want to learn how your community can get a CERTs Seed Grant to advance your work? Applications for the next round of grants are available and due October 26th. To get started, visit the Seed Grant page and see other awarded projects from past years.
