Glendale Water & Power is continuing to improve Glendale city streets by converting the existing High Pressure Sodium (HPS) street lights to energy efficient Light Emitting Diode (LED) lights. As of August of 2019, there are a total of 11,343 light fixtures in Glendale. 40% of these fixtures have already been converted to LEDs, while 58% still use HPS lights and the other 2% use different kinds of lighting. Keeping these fixtures on at night consumes around 5,015 MWH (Mega-Watt Hours) of energy per year. It is estimated that the amount of energy and cost will be reduced by slightly more than half per year if the remaining lights were converted to LED.

Benefits to Switching to LED Street Lights

LEDs require less power than HPS and other incandescent lights. The LEDs that are being installed in Glendale are typically 3 to 5 times more efficient than the lights they are replacing. This conversion will offer significant energy savings, increased reliability, and lights with extended longevity. Below are more benefits of using LED street light bulbs:

• Lowered Maintenance Costs: LED light sources have a longer life, requiring fewer trips up the pole to replace burnt-out lamps which equates to less maintenance and supply costs. Traditional high-pressure sodium lamps last up to 24,000 hours (about six years) and sodium lamps need to be replaced every three to four years to avoid failures. LEDs can last up to 70,000 hours (more than 15 years).
• Increases Visibility: LED street lights provide more visibility, delivering improved vertical light distribution, reduced light "trespass" (both horizontally and vertically), excellent color qualities and clearer lighting.

• Environmentally Friendly: LED lights use about half of the electricity of sodium lamps which reduces overall greenhouse gas emissions. Additionally, there is no mercury used in the production of LED lights.

• Safety: Improved light quality is an important factor in reduced crime rate, deterring criminals who take advantage of poor color rendering. Improvements in light quality, illuminance, and uniformity will help aid drivers, pedestrians, and promote general public safety, as well as an overall improvement to roadway appeal.

We are currently focusing on converting all lights in and around the downtown area and on major thoroughfares throughout the city to LED. When that is completed we will move to convert the remaining lights in residential areas.