Wichita Falls is a city and the county seat of Wichita County, Texas, United States. The city is considering a more than $2.8 million project to upgrade street lights in the city which is touted to have both cost-saving and environmental benefits.
The Wichita Falls City Council will consider a resolution to contract with Ameresco to provide services for a LED system upgrade to more than 5,000 street lights in the city. Additionally, the city has been working with Ameresco for an investment-grade audit of the city’s street lighting system.
Around 2,490 roadway lighting fixtures have already been retrofitted with LED systems. This high potential project would replace the remaining traditional lightings including 5,727 high-pressure sodium, metal halide, and mercury-vapor street lights in the city.
As per the Ameresco’s review, the city can complete the project for an estimated cost of $2,880,784, including 10-year warranties on equipment. Also according to the company, operational saving would provide for the upgrade over a 15-year annual capital lease payment plan.
The new LED lights that will be provided by Cooper Lighting are expected to have a 20-year lifespan. The replacement of conventional lighting with LEDs would eventually cut down the electricity consumption 2.85 million kilowatt-hours each year for the city.
The upgrade of the lighting will also lower down the production of chemicals in the environment including the elimination of more than 2,386 tons of carbon dioxide, 1,446 pounds of sulfur dioxide and 2,328 pounds of nitrogen oxides. After the approval, the LED lighting project will be completed in just 4-5 months.
