Lighting the Way to Savings
Council received a presentation from staff on a project that would see Richmond Hill convert its outdoor lighting network to more energy conscious, cost efficient and environmentally-friendly LED lighting. Research in phase one indicates that LED (Light Emitting Diode) is a superior technology to the current HPS (High Pressure Sodium) bulbs and could result in energy and maintenance savings of $1.68 million annually with a payback period of 6 to 7 years. Staff also shared that LED lighting could potentially reduce the greenhouse gas emissions from the Town’s lighting network by 575 tonnes per year – that’s the equivalent to taking 121 passenger cars off the road! At the Meeting, Council approved staff’s recommendation to add phase 2 (project implementation) to the 2016 capital budget process and directed staff to apply for a grant from the Independent Electricity System Operator (IESO) to assist with the cost of implementing the project. Richmond Hill installs, operates and maintains an outdoor lighting network of approximately 17,550 lights (16,000 streetlights, 1,200 park lights, and 350 parking lot lights) representing a significant energy cost. For more information, contact Terry Ricketts, Director of Environment Services at 905-771-9996, ext. 6504.