Let there be more efficient light on a Tenderloin block
By: Brent Begin
Examiner Staff Writer
March 25, 2009
SAN FRANCISCO — A grid of energy-efficient streetlights will be unveiled in the Tenderloin today as part of a pilot program testing the next generation of city lighting.
The City installed the light emitting diode (LED) streetlights on Turk Street, between Taylor and Jones streets. The new lights replace the less energy-efficient sodium lamps.
The San Francisco Public Utilities Commission and Pacific Gas & Electric Co., which operate 43,000 streetlights in San Francisco have been working with Mayor Gavin Newsom to spread the LED technology throughout The City.
Today’s announcement follows a PG&E study completed in December that tested the viability of competing LED manufacturers. Twenty sample streetlights from four different companies were installed on 38th, 41st, 42nd and 44th avenues between Santiago and Taraval streets in the Sunset district.
The study reported that two of the four manufacturers’ LED lights provided sufficient illumination and a 50 to 70 percent energy savings.
LED lights are semiconductors that shine when energy passes through them. They produce a noticeably whiter color and are more durable than the current sodium lamps.
Streetlighting is a significant concern for public safety in places like the Tenderloin. The new lights will be maintained using “smart-controller technology,” and can be turned on or off and dimmed or flashed in an emergency.
But the more efficient streetlights are also significantly more expensive, which has been the major obstacle for municipalities. Replacement fixtures in the PG&E study ranged from $300 to $700, which would take years to pay back in energy efficiency.
Standard streetlights cost less than $50 each.
