OREANDA-NEWS. The Indiana Municipal Power Agency (IMPA) believes there’s strength in numbers. The wholesale power supplier was awarded a recent U.S. Department of Energy grant to fund the retrofitting of outdoor street lights in 20 member communities with light emitting plasma and LED street lighting fixtures. Through a competitive process, the communities collectively selected the GE’s energy-efficient Evolve™ LED Roadway Cobrahead fixtures to replace mercury vapor, metal halide and high-pressure sodium lamps, some of which had been in use for more than half a century.

IMPA was awarded the USD 5 million Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant in 2010 as a part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). Its original plan called for the replacement of 6,800 street lights with an estimated collective annual savings of 3.4 million kilowatt hours (kWh) for the 20 participating member communities in Indiana.

The street light procurement process led to competitive bids that were measurably lower than the amount budgeted for the project. As a result, IMPA extended its original plan to include 32 member communities, retrofitting a total of 9,933 cobrahead street lights with LED street lighting for a projected annual energy reduction of 5 million kWh. For the city of Greenfield, which replaced more than 1,400 street lights, the program has resulted in an annual energy savings of more than 900,000 kWh. This translates to cost savings exceeding USD 68,000 each year.

“Compared to standard street lights, LED street lighting uses significantly less energy and lasts longer,” said Harold “Huck” Lewis, mayor of Lebanon, Ind., a participating community in the retrofit program. “Even if they are slightly more expensive at the outset, they quickly pay for themselves in savings, especially when reduced maintenance costs are factored in.”

Upon installation of GE’s Evolve LED Roadway Cobrahead fixtures, the IMPA communities realized improved street lighting as well as greater energy efficiency. Whereas sodium-based street lights burn out once every three to four years, GE Evolve LED Roadway Cobrahead fixtures offer more than 11 years of service, based on 12 hours of operation per day for the 50,000-hour rated life.

Additionally, community members were pleased with the uniform white light of GE’s Evolve LED Cobraheads. Specifically, the fixtures deliver improved vertical light distribution, reduced light trespass, excellent color qualities and clearer lighting of community streets. Several participants also appreciated the lights are dark-sky compliant, reducing light pollution.