How’s Our Lighting Now?

You might recall that a few months ago, in partnership with the Yukon government's Energy Solutions Centre, we installed six LED streetlights in Dawson City. We wanted to find out how they would perform in extreme winter conditions compared to the traditional street lights. Early results are now in, and here's what they're telling us:

•  Light meter readings have shown a consistent level of light for each of the LED streetlights. The level meets international standards for roadway lighting.
   
• The LED streetlights are using 70 percent less energy (on average) than the traditional HPS streetlight.
   
• There have not been any icing or weather related problems with LED streetlight performance.
   
• Public reaction to the LED lights has been positive.
   
• Our results, although preliminary, are consistent with the results from LED pilot projects in other parts of Canada and the U.S.

We've just mailed a survey to Dawson residents to get feedback on the lights. If you live in the Dawson area, we encourage you to send us your comments by the end of this month using the addressed and stamped envelope provided with your survey. For your trouble you'll have a chance to win two LED yard lights.

Yukon Energy will continue to monitor the performance of the LEDs for the rest of the winter. We’ll prepare a final report on the pilot project this summer and will share the results with you on this blog.

Photos: 1) LED street lights at -45 degrees C in Dawson; 2) close-up of one of the streetlights. Photo credit: www.archbould.com