Shakopee rolling out LED lights

Shakopee Valley News

The street lights in Shakopee, they are a’changing — to LED.

The city of Shakopee and the Shakopee Public Utilities Commission are working to replace the 2,300 city-owned street lights to LED bulbs to improve light longevity, lower maintenance costs and increase energy savings.

“We’ve had a lighting policy with the goal of improving to LED lighting for about 10 years,” City Engineer and Public Works Director Steve Lillehaug said. “The technology has finally proven itself and become very cost effective to implement LED lighting city-wide.”

The upgrade is being done through the Shakopee Public Utilities Commission, which is required to use some funds toward energy efficiency or conservation by the state of Minnesota. The commission will also pay for the upgrade, as opposed to the city.

As a pilot project, the commission installed lights on Fuller Street and Vierling Drive in 2011 and County Roads 101 and 69 in 2011 and 2012, Shakopee Public Utilities Project Engineer Christian Fenstermacher said.

“We received positive comments,” Fenstermacher said.

All new developments including residential areas since 2013 have had LED lights installed, including city street reconstruction projects.

At the onset, LED lights tend to be $200 to $400 more expensive per entire fixture. However, due to the lower amount of energy LED lights use, the cost will go down over time, Fenstermacher said. To change 1,500 fixtures over the next two to three years will cost around $600,000.

“As part of our conservation effort, we have determined that the street lighting energy savings will total approximately 750,000 (kilowatt hours) and $74,000 annually,” Fenstermacher said. “We have also determined that we will be saving an estimated $30,000 each year in maintenance costs since LED fixtures do not need period bulb and ballast replacements.”

A system-wide replacement project will start in 2018, with fixtures designed to last more than 20 years, Fenstermacher said.

Shakopee resident Rosalie Duede said the new lights installed on her street are too bright for a residential area.

“It makes the whole house look like daylight when it’s night time,” Duede said. “I just think that they weren’t thinking when they bought these.”

The LED lights are directed downward with shielding so light pollution is minimized and while the city hasn’t received much comment, pro or con, about the lights, changes can be made if they’re called for, Lillehaug said.

“It is difficult to compare to existing lighting levels as it is a different type and color of lighting, not apples to apples,” Lillehaug said. “We do understand that this is a change, it might take some getting used to, and we may even need to make some adjustments if necessary.”

The brightness might be due to the fixture style as opposed to the change in bulbs, Fenstermacher said.

“Most residents have expressed praise for the better lighting conditions in their neighborhoods,” Fenstermacher said. “Some have indicated that the lights seem brighter but this is likely due to the light being whiter light color than the (high-pressure sodium) style since the LED lights selected have a similar lumen output as (high-pressure sodium).”

There are benefits for the residents, Fenstermacher said.

“Beyond the improved lighting levels, the less resources spent on energy and maintenance for street lighting, the lower our customers’ electric rates, since those costs are ‘donated’ to the city but are, in reality, paid for by all customers as a part of overhead costs,” Fenstermacher said.

Numerous communities across the country and internationally have made the switch to LED, including in New York, Massachusetts, California and more.

“Cities have touted the perceived increase in safety due to the improved visual acuity of LED street lighting,” Fenstermacher said.

The city and the commission will no longer purchase high-sodium pressure lights or fixtures.

Fenstermacher said the bulbs will not be dimmed at all, but shields facing the nearest house could be done in some situations.

For more information or if residents have concerns, they can call the Shakopee Public Utilities at 952-445-1988 or Shakopee Public Works at 952-233-9550.