LED STREETLIGHTING
BERWICK’S EXPERIENCE
BACKGROUND
• In 2009 Berwick was offered the opportunity
to participate in a Pilot Project sponsored by
the Province, Enercan and LED Roadway
Lighting of Amherst.
• We accepted and were allocated 60 - 88 watt
fixtures.
• We installed the fixtures along Commercial
Street in Berwick, from Highway 1 in the South
to the 101 at the North end of Town.
Berwick Electric Commission
• Berwick is one of those farsighted, visionary, or
just plain stubborn communities that still owns its
electric distribution system, and in our case, a
hydro generator.
• Thus we have the staff and equipment to
undertake the conversion by ourselves.
• The utility is managed at arm’s length from the
Town; the streetlights are installed and owned by
the utility which bills the Town (and Kings County)
as does NSPI elsewhere in Nova Scotia.
• We replaced 28 – 400 watt mercury vapour
and 250 watt high pressure sodium fixtures
with 54 – 88 watt SAT fixtures. The other 6
fixtures were installed in a new subdivision.
• Lighting levels were significantly increased
and made more uniform at lower energy cost.
• Fixtures are dark skies compliant.
• The pilot installation was well received by
citizens, very positive feedback.
Installation 2009 Commercial Street
Installation 2009 Commercial Street
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• In 2010 Berwick applied for funding from
EcoNS for conversion of the balance of our
streetlight inventory to LED fixtures. In cooperation with other Municipal Electric
Utilities, we put out an RFP for supply of
fixtures, using a specification that was written
to give the highest possible assurance of long
life and lowest maintenance cost. Those
attributes
were required to make the
business case.
• We received about 8 responses. Following
analysis including reports from a committee
put together by Provincial Procurement to aid
in the exercise and by an outside consultant, it
was identified that only LED Roadway Lighting
met the spec.
• But the unit price was high. The various
Municipalities made their own choices about
purchase volumes. Berwick chose to make a
wholesale change of streetlights, 294 units in
all. That number includes the 60 we received
in the pilot project.
And about the money…..
• We spent $9800 installing the first 60. We
bought 234 from LED Roadway Lighting for $870
each. Eco Nova Scotia provided a grant equal to
50% of the cost of the fixtures ($101,790) and
installing those 234 cost us about $32,000. The
difference in unit installed cost is mounting arms,
we replaced them on the first lot, reused existing
arms in the second install.
• In setting the rate we assumed $18.50 annually
for maintenance, (cribbed from NSPI) used 352
kWh/year for energy consumption, amortized he
asset over 15 years and included a stranded asset
cost of $23,800.
• All of which yielded a rate of $9.57/month per
fixture (2010 rate), and resulted in a significant
saving to the Town on street lighting costs.
AND IN ADDITION
We use 105,000 kWh less per year, reducing carbon
emissions by about 88 Tonnes. (2006 NSP carbon
load). As NSP’s generation becomes greener, that
value becomes smaller.
Light pollution is hugely reduced.
We’ve replaced 2 photoswitches so far.
Significantly reduced maintenance cost.
Questions?
• But first I have one of my own.
• I note that NSPI is seeking to recover its stranded
cost of retired fixtures from Municipalities. I
know we did it, but it’s an intercompany thing for
Berwick, Berwick made the change voluntarily &
it wasn’t much money.
• Why does UNSM even consider this charge? It’s
a rental, right? Take’em back & call the Province.