july 2011
Welcome to LightSavers,the e-newsletter produced by the Toronto Atmospheric Fund's Lightsavers Program for people interested in outdoor LED and advanced lighting technologies. Please feel free to
We are very grateful for support received for this program from Natural Resources Canada and the Ontario Power Authority’s Technology Fund in partnership with the CEATI Outdoor Lighting Working Group.
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Guidance for municipalities
As part of the second phase of the LightSavers program, TAF worked with the Canadian Urban Institute to develop a municipal policy options guide for accelerating deployment of advanced lighting technologies. The guide outlines a number of policy options for cities including: planning tools for requiring energy efficient outdoor lighting as part of new developments or redevelopments; regulatory reforms to permit the use of adaptive lighting controls; and strategies to finance the high up-front capital costs of advanced lighting upgrades. The guide is available on the LightSavers website.
Real world observations
Following a year of monitoring, and months of data evaluation, the final pilot reports for the LightSavers technology pilots in Mississauga, Caledon, and a Toronto Community Housing garage have been released . All three pilots attained energy savings in the range of 55-75% and while there were significant differences in product performance, most of the products performed well. The combination of LEDs with occupancy sensor controls at TCH proved particularly successful, maximizing savings and extending the expected product lifespan. At the TCH sites, no lumen depreciation whatsoever was observed over 6,500 hours of operation.
A walk in the (artificial) moonlight
The folks at Exhibition Place have been keen participants in the LightSavers program. Their latest pilot consists of retrofitting lighting along a pedestrian pathway that extends along almost the entire south side of the Ex-Place campus. The original lighting system consisted of about 70 High Pressure Sodium 130 watt fixtures that required bulb changes every few years, and cast a foreboding orange glow. The new lighting system uses an equal number of LED fixtures manufactured by Philips Lumec. Each fixture consumes about 40 watts and emits a high- quality white light similar to moonlight. However, the biggest innovation is that all of the fixtures are equipped with occupancy sensors to dynamically adjust the light levels based on user needs. It’s believed that about 70% of the time the lights will be on the low setting, using just 10 watts. The net result is a projected total energy savings of 85%. You can watch a video produced by the Ontario Power Authority about the installation and read our blog for more info.
LightSavers goes global
TAF’s LightSavers program has gone global with help from The Climate Group (TCG), an international organization focused on municipal sustainability efforts. Recently, TAF’s LightSavers Manager Bryan Purcell joined representatives from New York, London, Adelaide, Quezon City (Philippines), Tianjin and Guiyang (China), and Kolkata (India) in Shanghai to compare notes from pilot projects sponsored by TCG. Pilot outcomes indicate that these new technologies are increasingly ready for prime time with many products delivering solid results, including energy savings of 50-70%. However, not all products are as reliable as others. That led to some brainstorming about creating solid procurement standards, including ensuring good warranty coverage.
Welland switches to LEDs
The City of Welland in Southwestern Ontario has signed a deal to switch more than 6,700 outdoor lamps to LEDs and become one of the first North American municipalities to use all LED outdoor lighting. The City has chosen Appalachian Lighting Systems to supply new LED lamps that include built in real-time monitoring and control links. Welland expects to save $300,000 per year in energy costs and 3.3 million pounds of carbon dioxide thanks to a 76% reduction in energy use. The lamps, which will be fully installed by 2012, are expected to last the City 20 years and produce more than $2.5 million in savings over their lifetimes.
Nova Scotia makes a big commitment to LEDs
Welland, however, is not the only jurisdictions making a 100% commitment to LEDs. The Province of Nova Scotia has just announced a policy of using only LED lamps for streetlighting. The province projects that it will cost $100 million to convert the 120,000 street lights in Nova Scotia to LEDs, but says the conversion will ultimately save $18 million per year in energy costs and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by more than 30,000 tons per year. Municipalities and communities will be given five years to make the conversion.
How to reach us:
Bryan Purcell
Program Manager
bpurcell@tafund.org
416-393-6358
Mary Pickering
Program Director
mpickering@tafund.org
416-392-1217
www.lightsavers.ca
