Crews to Install LED Streetlights in Stillwater in February

Beginning Feb. 1, Xcel Energy will begin converting about 700 street lights in the city to LED street lights. The conversion will take two weeks to complete, according to city officials.

Since 2016, Xcel Energy has been installing LED fixtures in streetlights in nearly 350 communities throughout Minnesota. The effort focuses on converting about 90,000 Xcel Energy-owned streetlights from cobra head-style, high pressure sodium bulbs to new, more energy-efficient fixtures using LEDs, according to a news release.

Six Reasons for LED Street Lighting

Here are six benefits Xcel Energy says Stillwater can gain with streetlight upgrades:

1. LED lights produce more light per watt of power consumed than conventional lights.
2. LED lights have a longer life, which equates to increased reliability and reduced maintenance costs.
3. Because of their energy efficiency, LED streetlights reduce carbon emissions.
4. Their "daylight" appearance offers aesthetic and safety appeal.
5. LED units contain no mercury, lead or other known disposable hazards.
6. LED lights don’t need to warm up; they are at 100 percent brightness immediately upon turning on.

Three LED Pilot Cities Paved the Way

To ensure the LED lighting equipment meets performance and pricing standards, Xcel Energy teamed up with Amarillo, Texas; Denver, Colorado; and West St. Paul, Minnesota to convert 650 cobrahead streetlights.

West St. Paul was the largest project, with a 537-LED streetlight upgrade in 2013. To test and verify energy consumption, three of the LED installations were metered. Meter readings were collected quarterly and results showed a 42 percent reduction in energy use when compared to high-pressure sodium units.

Performance showed that these results were consistent with manufacturer tests and claims, according to Xcel.

Image via Robert Ashworth, Flickr, used under Creative Commons