In April 2015, Mayor Dave Kleis announced, during his tenth annual State of the City address, a new plan to introduce energy-efficient LED street lights - dynamic informational signs, and high-tech cameras to reduce energy use and to improve safety in the community of St. Cloud.
The new smart energy LED streetlights recently installed in St. Cloud are a part of Excel Energy’s plan to replace all of its 100,000 streetlights across the state with energy-efficient LEDS. This is a part of the company’s proposed $100 million, five-year streetlight upgrade in the eight states Xcel Energy serves. The cost of LED lights has dropped significantly, which means the cost of installing LEDs is offset by lower energy and maintenance costs.
The city plans to have as many of the lights installed along downtown St. Germain Street and 5th avenue and eventually city-wide. As this means changing more than 2,000 lights, the project will take an estimated 22 months to complete.
The new smart energy and safety features cost an estimated $3.5 million in capital costs on a performance contract, costing nothing to the city. Similar to the renovations done to the Municipal Athletic Complex, the energy savings will pay for the long-term cost of financing.
Not only are the street lights energy efficient, they will also feature high-tech cameras, an audio system, and signage that will display information about detours, events, and parking availability. Brighter street lights and high-tech cameras will mean greater visibility and safer security precautions downtown.
Streetlights will be more efficient to operate and will cut the city’s electric bill by more than half. Greater efficiency means that the lights will only be replaced every 20 years instead of the current average of every six years, making for an excellent and energy-efficient community.
No comments:
Post a Comment