Lighting industry technology advancements and reductions in the cost of LED fixtures make retrofitting the City's street lights with LEDs an affordable investment. The Citywide retrofit will result in substantial energy cost savings and greater reductions in greenhouse gas emissions.
Additionally, the long life span of LED fixtures will yield reduced maintenance and repair costs. LED street lights can last for decades before needing replacement. By 2020, all of the City's street lights will be equipped with LED lamps.
LED Light Spectrum
The light generated by LED fixtures looks different from the amber light produced by the high pressure sodium bulbs that are currently most common throughout the City. LED lights produce a whiter light that renders a color spectrum similar to moonlight (see the light intensity scale shown below).
The new LED street lights emit light with a color temperature of 4000 Kelvin, which is the standard used by cities nationwide. The color temperature of LEDs can cause some people to perceive the light as being brighter, but in actuality, these LED lights are generating fewer Lumens and operating on a lower wattage.