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Street Lighting Upgrade
Construction Schedule
Lenni Electric Corporation has been selected as the contractor for the street lighting upgrade project. All vehicles and employees associated with this project will have property identification and the vehicles will be properly marked for identification.
Schedule
Starting on November 13, 2014, the contractor will begin installation of ornament lighting in the Halford Hills and Halford Tract section of West Norriton Township.
Improved Light Quality
Installation of LED street lights throughout the Township is expected to begin in the fall of 2014 and last until the spring of 2015. Approximately 900 high pressure sodium, metal halide, mercury vapor and incandescent streetlights, including path and park lights, are scheduled to be replaced. The project will result in significant energy and cost savings for the Township. In addition to using less energy, LEDs have a longer lifespan which reduces maintenance costs. The replacement project will also change out some fixtures for consistency and make any future replacements easier. The new fixtures will be mounted on the existing light poles.
Johnson Controls presentation to the Board of Commissioners (PDF)
Benefits of LED Lighting:
- Improved lighting conditions for drivers and pedestrians alike
- Lower energy consumption
- Reduced maintenance and replacement costs
- Improved night visibility due to higher color rendering and higher color temperature
- Increased light uniformity and distribution of light between poles
- Enhanced directionality and controllability, reduced light pollution
- Significantly longer lifespan
- Instant-on with no run-up or re-strike delays
- Less toxic, LED lights contain no mercury or lead and are 100% recyclable
Financing
Johnson Controls has provided West Norriton Township will a list of street lighting upgrades that will fund themselves out of energy/operational savings and capital cost avoidance over a period of 20 years or less, inclusive of likely utility rebates or incentives.
On August 12, 2014, the Board of Commissioners adopted Ordinance 2014-684 to provide $5,580,000 in financing for street lighting upgrades and sanitary sewer work.
At the Work Session on June 3, 2014, Township staff presented updated financial numbers and a recommended rate structure for sanitary sewer customers. In order to fund a borrowing of $5,580,000 the Township would be required to raise sanitary sewer rates to provide for the increased debt service.
West Norriton Township's financial advisor, Concord Public Financial Advisors, provided an overview of the township's current debt service obligations and a plan of finance for sewer system capital improvements at the May 6, 2014 Work Session.
The presentation was broken down into two sections:
- LED Streetlight Energy Savings Project and Project Savings Analysis
- Sewer System Capital Improvements Plan of Finance
LED Upgrades
Side-by-side comparison of LED lamps (left) and sodium lamps (right) The existing street lighting system of West Norriton Township consists largely of functional roadway lighting fixtures attached to wooden utility poles. A variety of styles are present:
- Cobra heads
- Security lights
- Colonial laterns
- Shoebox fixtures
A variety of sources are used:
- Mercury vapor
- Metal halide
- High pressure sodium
- Incandescent
All new street light fixtures will be LED technology with a proposed wattage between 35 and 105 watts.
Johnson Controls have provided before and after photo-metrics to show the impact of LED lighting at several locations in the Township. View the doucment (PDF)