City of Saginaw Lighting Study
You may have seen different styles of streetlights at various locations near City Hall in recent months. The city is evaluating lighting options for streetlights to determine if it can reduce operating costs and maintenance on its decorative streetlight system. The Department of Public Services is taking every effort to evaluate lower energy options and has temporarily installed light emitting diode (LED) and induction lighting to evaluate energy consumption, maintenance time and materials, and lighting output. The most recent product being tested is called induction lighting which is similar to fluorescent lighting. If you want to evaluate the light for yourself, visit the 900 block of Washington Avenue. Lighting will be installed for a limited time while evaluation and testing is being conducted. The city currently uses 150 watt high pressure sodium bulbs in its decorative streetlights. The induction lighting being tested is 50 watt induction lighting. Induction light differs from high pressure sodium in energy consumption and color temperature. Induction light uses 1/4 to 1/3 the electricity and is a whiter light than high pressure sodium. High pressure sodium provides a soothing amber light and provides a lower color temperature range which means you may not see the true color rendering of an object in that light temperature.
Funding for the lighting evaluation and possible decorative streetlight retrofit project is being provided by a grant from Michigan's Clean Energy Coalition through the Michigan Public Services Commission. Saginaw has been identified as a City of Promise and is one of eight cities in the state to receive CEC grants for energy efficiency improvements. The grant in the amount of $463,000 is being used to convert the City's traffic signal equipment to LED technology and the remainder of the funds will be used to upgrade decorative streetlights and for installation of a renewable solar energy source on the City's Public Services roof. For more information, see Clean Energy Coalition's website. www.CEC-MI.org
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Light Emitting Diode |
Induction Lamp |
High Pressure Sodium |