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Thread: Town Board planning to upgrade to LED streetlights

  1. #1
    Tony Fracasso - Admin
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    Town Board planning to upgrade to LED streetlights

    I wonder if they really research this

    Town Board planning to upgrade to LED streetlights

    The Tonawanda Town Board is planning to replace existing streetlights in the town with LED equivalents, approving a resolution during a recent meeting to begin acquiring its lights from National Grid and upgrade them.

    Town Engineer Jim Jones said the move, part of a state initiative to improve efficiency in municipalities across New York, is an opportunity for towns such as Tonawanda to save a “tremendous” amount of money and improve lighting quality. He said the town would also be able to buy its system of streetlights from National Grid and operate the lights itself, which provides additional benefits.

    “This creates a larger opportunity for us to control those poles, administer their function and recognize an even greater savings by not having to pay some very large charges that we do now,” Jones said.
    https://www.kentonbee.com/articles/t...-streetlights/

  2. #2
    Tony Fracasso - Admin
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    I'm not being rude or trying to be. Will the people in charge of controlling those poles etc... be qualified to do so?

    OR will this just be an opportunity to grow government and hire a new "Supervisor of Poles"?


    “This creates a larger opportunity for us to control those poles, administer their function and recognize an even greater savings by not having to pay some very large charges that we do now,” Jones said.

  3. #3
    Tony Fracasso - Admin
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    He said the new lights would be dark-sky compliant, reduce energy bills for the town and taxpayers, and would bring the town closer to a smart city designation and innovations in lighting control. For example, the town would be able to brighten poles on specific streets for events at the request of police.
    I wonder what model LED replacements they are thinking of getting. Anyone know?



    Emminger said the town has been considering transitioning to LED lighting for approximately eight years, but the option hasn’t been cost-effective until recently. He said prior to LED lighting, new poles would cost residents about $400 per year for 15 years, whereas now replacement costs are less than a quarter of that amount.


    “About five or six years ago National Grid changed the program, so the cost now to the residents is just for the end costs; they don’t pay for the installation,” Emminger said. “It’s generally anywhere between $60 and $70 per year.”


    Looks more like they are replacing just the lighting fixture now the pole. So the upgrades are going to cost more like $100 a year for 15 years? That's (15 years X $100 a year) $1500 light fixture.


    That seems high if they are just replacements.



    https://www.myledlightingguide.com/b...-street-lights

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    Of course there are the liability issues and costs that come with owning the street lights. If the light goes out and little Suzy falls and hurts herself due to an unseen street defect prepare to open the taxpayer wallet. There are the costs of replacing poles and lights damaged in auto accidents which will put the town in the position of filing insurance claims that they currently avoid. I can assure you from personal experience that National Grid is diligent getting such claims filed. Imagine a Democratic board trying to handle a task like that with anything like dispatch when they’ve larded the town payroll with otherwise unemployable halfwit friends and family. Then of course the poles will come off the tax rolls once the town owns them so there’s the lost tax revenue. The trend toward small cell technology is there. But the problems with the town owning the poles is twofold (at least). It’s almost a certainty that a Democratic board will lack the balls to stand up to the hue and cry raised by every hysterical horse’s ass who bleats at every proposed installation. And if a board gathers the collective testicles to approve installation they’ll certainly have to seek recompense for their trouble in the form that Democrats favor, payola. So there’s that, at least.

  5. #5
    Member sharky's Avatar
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    hopefully they have adequate shade covers and are properly angled to keep the light pointed down and not cause more light pollution. Also hopefully they get LEDs that are less in the blue end of the spectrum as that light scatters more in the sky and is worse for light pollution
    https://www.skyandtelescope.com/astr...on-increasing/
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    Politicians need to cut spending

  6. #6
    Tony Fracasso - Admin
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    Some LED lamps physically effect people so they need to do their research.

    Seems costly

    Emminger said the town has been considering transitioning to LED lighting for approximately eight years, but the option hasn’t been cost-effective until recently. He said prior to LED lighting, new poles would cost residents about $400 per year for 15 years, whereas now replacement costs are less than a quarter of that amount.


    “About five or six years ago National Grid changed the program, so the cost now to the residents is just for the end costs; they don’t pay for the installation,” Emminger said. “It’s generally anywhere between $60 and $70 per year.”
    I would like to know what LED lamp they are supplying so we can figure out the material cost.

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