Innisfail is one of three Alberta communities selected to take part in a LED streetlight pilot project, town council was told last week.
During the June 13 meeting, town council unanimously approved a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to take part in the LED Streetlight Community Assessment project, a joint Alberta Urban Municipalities Association (AUMA) – FortisAlberta initiative.
Under the pilot project, LED (Light Emitting Diode) streetlights will be installed in high-traffic test areas in Okotoks, Stony Plain and Innisfail for a period of about one year at no cost to the communities.
“FortisAlberta will be paying for the lights, the equipment and the maintenance,” Joelle Lamontagne, FortisAlberta’s project manager-energy efficiency, told council during the presentation. Lamontagne said the new lights could lead to a reduction in energy consumption and greenhouse gases, as well as reduced maintenance costs.
“Urban Municipal Action on Climate Change Environmental Scan,” a 2008 AUMA report produced in association with Alberta Environment, supported the use of alternative outdoor lighting in an effort to reduce energy consumption. After receiving requests from numerous municipalities for the technology, FortisAlberta spent a year studying different LED products. While LED technology is becoming more commonplace in traffic signals, its use in street lighting is fairly new and needs to be tested, explained Brian Jackowich, AUMA’s senior director of energy services and new products.
“The biggest thing … is that the technology is evolving, and it’s evolving very, very quickly,” Jackowich said.
A total of 108 LED streetlights will replace current HPS (High Pressure Sodium) lights along a portion of 60 Ave., 50 St., 43 St., 45 St., 56 Ave., 57 Ave., 55 Ave. Cres., 54 A Ave. Cres., 44 A St. Cl., 54 A Ave. Cl., and 56 Ave. Cl. Two banks of meters will be installed in Innisfail to measure the energy consumption of the LED and HPS lights. Construction will be completed by Sept. 15, with the lights in operation until Dec. 31, 2012.
FortisAlberta will collect and analyze the data and customer feedback before reporting back to council and AUMA with the results by March 31, 2013. Lamontagne said FortisAlberta will continue examining new LED technology during the project’s lifespan.
FortisAlberta stakeholder relations manager Stan Orlesky said Innisfail was chosen for the project given its central location between Edmonton and Calgary along the Queen Elizabeth II Highway, which will allow other municipal officials to examine the lighting when they drive through the area.
“We thought it would be a good spot,” Orlesky told council, noting Innisfail is the “envy” of all the other communities in FortisAlberta’s operating area.
Given the fact there is no cost to take part in the program, Innisfail Mayor Jim Romane said he was pleased with the news.
“I think we’re pretty fortunate,” Romane said, addressing council.
