Virden is one of the locations where crews have been lifted skyward to replace streetlights with more efficient fixtures and lights.
As traditional high pressure sodium (HPS) street lights burn out, Manitoba Hydro says they are being replaced with LEDs. HPS street lights produce a yellow or orange light and only last up to five years, according to information on the Manitoba Hydro website.
In comparison, LED street lights produce a more direct and visually appealing white light and can last up to 20 years. LED fixtures consume nearly 60 per cent less energy than HPS technology.
More than 85,000 street lights have been replaced by LEDs across Manitoba. Several neighbourhoods in north Winnipeg and the city’s downtown have been replaced. Recently, crews are in St. Boniface district in Winnipeg, Neepawa, Virden, and Morden.
Benefits
- reduced energy use;
- last up to 20 years;
- less maintenance;
- more direct white light;
- completely recyclable;
- reduced light spillage.
The switch to LED street lights is expected to save 42 Gigawatt hours in electricity savings and six MW in winter peak demand savings by 2020–2021, and 27,000 tonnes of indirect greenhouse gas emission reductions in the electricity export market, which is equivalent to removing 5,400 cars from the road.
