2013-01-22_PWETC_AgendaPacket - Laserfiche WebLink

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Attachment B Xcel Energy® INFORMATION SHEET LED Street Lighting Information and Frequently Asked Questions LED (Light Emitting Diode) street lighting has gone through many changes in recent years and is gaining in popularity because of the advancements manufacturers have made in the following areas: • Cost— LED street light fixtures range from about $300 to $600. They are still more expensive than high pressure sodium, but the gap is closing. • Photometrics — LED cobra head roadway street light fixtures can now mirror very closely what HID (High Intensity Discharge) cobra head roadway street light fixtures can deliver. • Thermal management — This component is critical to the longevity and light output of LEDs and the large manufacturers have been able to control this wail. • LED fixture durability — LED luminaries should not retain any water or dirt, which minimizes maintenance visits and component failure. • LED color— LED is a white light, which is a more natural color that allows better color rendition and resolution. LED is becoming a viable street lighting source for municipalities and utilities across the country. Xcel Energy continues to research LED street iighting from a reliability, operations and cost perspective. We acknowledge the pressure cities are under to reduce their street lighting operating costs and to implement environmental improvement measures. It is our intention to provide air LED lighting option to our customers that is based on sound technical facts and will provide a dependable, safe and cost effective street lighting option for a long period of time. To accomplish this, Xcel energy is implementing company -wide, comprehensive LED Pilot program that will result in an LED lighting solution available to all communities we serve. The program will be multi- faceted and include: • A large pilot in Minnesota • Small site pilots throughout other states • Collaboration, with vendors • Study other LED programs in other states with other utilities • Customer feedback through surveys and focus groups The data Xcel Energy co!lects during this pilot will allow us to better understand maintenance costs, reliability and energy savings as well as assist in the creation of LED street lighting rates.