City of Vancouver
The Story
We gave the green light to $357,000 in annual savings.
Ian Adam, Assistant City Engineer, City of Vancouver
"Recent advances in LED technology have resulted in the new lights for traffic signals, but the initial costs are substantially more expensive - $150 per LED lamp compared to $2 per incandescent bulb. So this program from BC Hydro helped get the city over the financial hurdle and bring a more energy efficient product to the city streets consistent with our sustainability objectives. We are really excited to be bringing this new technology to Vancouver."
Dave Rudberg, General Manager of Engineering Services, City of Vancouver
The Situation
The City of Vancouver has traffic signals at 670 intersections throughout the city, all of which used incandescent light bulbs to illuminate the vehicle and pedestrian signals. Annual electricity costs to power the lights totaled $322,500 and because incandescent lights have a short life span, they had to be replaced frequently, resulting in high maintenance costs – particularly due to the need for emergency call-outs of crews when lights burn out. The City’s engineering department proposed converting the incandescent lights to light-emitting diode (LED) lights, which use 80 to 90 per cent less electricity than incandescents and last six to 10 times longer. Doing this would save the City $247,500 per year in energy costs alone, plus an additional $110,000 per year in maintenance costs. However, because LED lights are substantially more expensive than incandescent lights, replacement costs totaled $2.2 million, and this created a financial hurdle for the City.
The Solution
BC Hydro offered to help offset the replacement costs through the Power Smart Traffic Light Program. BC Hydro would provide the initial $2.2 million to replace the red, green and "don’t walk" signals with LED lights in all 670 traffic signals, and the City of Vancouver would pay back BC Hydro 50 per cent of the $2.2 million over five years, without interest. This brought the City’s annual costs to $220,000 – easily offset by energy savings – and Vancouver City Council approved the program.
(Note: Because amber traffic lights and pedestrian "walk" signals are on for a shorter period of time, they use less electricity and do not provide a reasonable return on investment over the life cycle of LED lights. Thus they are not part of the program and will continue to use incandescent lights.)
"We commend the City of Vancouver for being one of the first communities in the province to sign up for the Power Smart Traffic Light program. There are approximately 3,600 traffic light-controlled intersections in British Columbia, and if we are able to convert all of them to LEDs, we will have saved enough power to supply about 4,000 homes," says Bev Van Ruyven, Vice President Power Smart.
The Benefits
Cost savings
The lighting conversion will save Vancouver taxpayers $247,500 a year in energy savings and will reduce the City’s maintenance budget by 65 per cent, or $110,000 a year.
Reduced environmental impacts
Reduced energy consumption has positive environmental impacts through lower greenhouse gas emissions. Switching to a more energy-efficient technology helps the City of Vancouver meet its sustainability objectives.
Improved safety
LED lights are brighter and more visible than incandescents, especially in direct sunlight and inclement weather when it is often difficult to see traffic lights. Because the lights turn on and off instantly, signal changes are easier to perceive. These features provide increased safety for motorists and pedestrians.
Contact Us
Find out how Power Smart can energize your bottom line. Call us today at 604 453-6400 in the Lower Mainland, 1 866 453-6400 elsewhere.
