ILLUMINATING NEIGHBORHOODS
A City of Edmonton and
EPCOR Technologies Pilot Project in LED
Implementation
Vlado Cicovski P.Eng.
Senior Street Light Engineer
City of Edmonton
780-423-7470
David Hoeksema, P.Eng.
Manager, Engineering
EPCOR Technologies Inc.
780-412-7992
Introduction
• The City of Edmonton operated 98,000 HID streetlights.
• These consumed nearly 73,800 MWh of energy per year.
• Annual maintenance costs were approximately $9.4 Million.
• The City needed to reduce maintenance and energy costs while advancing Edmonton’s conservation culture.
• Reduced light pollution, improved safety and leading with innovation were mandated.
A New Technology…
• Life up to 100,000 hours.
• Reduced consumption up to 70%.
• Adaptable controls.
• Flat lens design to reduce light pollution.
• Improved efficiency in colder temperatures.
• In 2006 the City of Edmonton completed the conversion of 17,000 traffic lights to LED.
• The application was highly successful.
• The City was ready to further test this new technology…
THE POTENTIAL THE FIRST STEP
The Move To Study
• In 2009 the application of LED for street lighting was still unproven.
The Question
• EPCOR Technologies commissioned to evaluate LED street lighting feasibility.
The Contractor • Five manufacturers
are chosen to pilot their roadway capable LED luminaire in various neighborhoods.
The Pilot
Methodology
• Pre-existing pole spacing was maintained.
• Installed five of each manufacturer’s luminaire side by side.
• Used a 100W HPS Lumec Helios as the reference point.
• Pilot areas covered a minimum of one residential block.
• Tested on ease of installation, illumination performance, energy consumption and cost.
Pilot Study
• Lighting simulations were modeled for efficacy using AGi32 software.
• Modeled with both standard and manufacturers level of depreciation.
• The two simulations provided similar results.
• Top ranked luminaire produced 67% greater luminance.
Lighting Performance
Pilot Study
INSTALL
• Looked at leveling, terminals, overhead wiring access, construction and handling.
• Of five tested only one proved difficult.
ENERGY
• Bottom ranked consumed 60% more energy.
COST
• Highest payback at 25 years.
• Lowest payback at 12 years.
Pilot Study
• 10 year all inclusive material warranty
• Industry standard 3rd party testing reports
• Surge protection requirements of 10kV
• LLF for ambient nighttime annual temp of 2.6°C
Specifications were built to remove as much risk as possible
from the customer.
Requirements included…
Luminaires meeting these specifications were pre-qualified
The City of Edmonton’s Environmental
Strategic Plan
The Way We Green
• It sets out principles, goals, objectives and strategic actions and
approaches for Edmonton to live in balance with nature.
• Some of the goals:
– Edmonton’s communities are full of nature — a place where in
the course of everyday life, residents experience a strong
connection with nature.
– Edmonton’s sources and uses of energy are sustainable.
• Resource: http://www.edmonton.ca/city_government/documents/TheWayWeGreen-
approved.pdf
The City of Edmonton’s Environmental
Strategic Plan
Edmonton’s Environmental Management System
• This policy establishes the ISO 14001, the international standard, as
the benchmark for a corporate Environmental Management System
(EMS). Standard Environmental Management System practices
across the City will address environmental regulatory compliance,
pollution prevention and continual improvement.
• Resource: http://www.edmonton.ca/city_government/documents/C505.pdf
Neighbourhood Renewal
• The Neighbourhood Renewal program is part of the Building Great
Neighbourhoods initiative which outlines a cost effective, long-term
plan to address the needs of Edmonton’s neighbourhoods. The
program involves the renewal and rebuilding of roads, sidewalks and
streetlights in existing neighbourhoods and collector roadways
balancing the rebuild need in some neighbourhoods with a
preventative maintenance approach in others.
• Resource:
http://www.edmonton.ca/transportation/on_your_streets/neighbourhood-
renewal.aspx
http://www.edmonton.ca/city_government/documents/C564.pdf
LED Street and Area Lighting Luminaires
• Deciding factors
• Luminaire location
• Pedestrian volumes
• Night over day collision ratios
• Luminaire wattage
• Lumen output over time
• Luminaire light distribution
• Walkway location sample
• Up to date 13000 luminaires are replaced with LED’s
Street lighting in Neighbourhood
Renewals • Comparison before and after the conversion
HPS
LED
Walkway HPS
Walkway LED
HPS ---Alley
lighting?
Walkway LED
Local road HPS
Local road LED
Local road HPS
Local road LED
Collector HPS
Collector LED
Collector HPS
Collector LED
Walkway HPS
Walkway LED
Arterial LED
2011
• 2 neighborhoods reconstructed, 300 luminaires installed.
• 23 neighborhoods added due to initial success.
2012
• LED lighting reconstruction in 6 new neighborhoods.
• By Q3 the first arterial road was retrofitted.
TOTAL
• 31 neighborhood retrofits complete.
• Approximately 13,000 LED luminaires installed.
Implementation Schedule
Schedule
Installations were
located in
neighborhoods
throughout the
City of Edmonton
and chosen based
on their priority in
the Neighborhood
Renewal
Program.
Design Considerations
• Maintain current lighting levels.
• Address over and under lit areas.
• Re-design for high night time collision locations.
• Identify pole and luminaire style requirements for heritage neighborhoods.
For
Neighborhoods
• Host open houses for Q&A prior to install.
• Notify residents of install date.
• Anticipate some initial discomfort with “White” light.
For
Residents
Implementation
KICK-OFF
• Understood as-built legends up front.
• Surveyed for conformity in pole base size.
• Surveyed for pole and base condition.
INSTALL
• Local staging facilities.
• Pre-wiring in-house.
• Crews were able to work in winter downtime due to lack of underground construction.
Results
Lower Maintenance
Improved Visibility &
Safety
Reduced Energy
Consumption ~ 44%
Lessons Learned
PRODUCT
• Know your asset base - non-standard bases require modifications to new pole flange or install of a new base.
• Older neighborhoods saw more modifications of pole bases.
• Ensure new upgrades meet new Canadian Electrical Code.
• LED color temperature allowed a lower wattage than anticipated still meeting historical lighting levels.
Lessons Learned
INSTALL
• Stage locally and group retrofit by neighborhood when possible.
• Redesign light distribution type for poles close to corner lots.
• Survey base condition and size in older neighborhoods.
• Record out of box failures for warranty coverage.
• Define failure with the manufacturer.
• Ensure retrofits are logged closely in order to calculate immediate energy savings.
Resident Feedback What they liked…
Happy with color
temperature
Perception of
improved safety
Feel visibility
is improved
Better
target
recognition
No immediate
failures
The majority of feedback
was enthusiastically
positive!
Improved
illumination on
pedestrian
walkways
Resident Feedback What they didn’t like…
Some found the light
too “White”
Some pedestrian
walkways
seemed under lit
Only a fraction of
feedback received was
critical…
Corner lots had
minor glare
issues that
were corrected Disappointed to
lose light trespass
Dimming LED
• Pilot Projects – adaptive lighting
– Residential area
– Walkway
– Arterial road
LECP
• Light Efficient Community Policy
Questions ?
References:
www.edmonton.ca
www.epcor.com/technologies
David Hoeksema, P.Eng.
Manager, Engineering
EPCOR Technologies Inc.
780 412-7992
Vlado Cicovski P.Eng.
Senior Street Light Engineer
City of Edmonton
780 423-7470
