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02/21/2018 07:30 AM

Time to Judge Westbrook’s Sample LED Streetlights


Before the town Energy Committee and streetlight contractor Siemens order the final LED (light-emitting diode) fixtures, it wants residents’ feedback to the six sample LED streetlight fixtures that Siemens will install by late February or early March.

The Energy Committee and streetlight contractor Siemens have agreed on six locations where the firm this month will install sample LED streetlights. The six test locations—with LED lights of different intensity and spread—are representative of the areas in which LED fixtures will be installed: residential neighborhoods, at public buildings and properties, along busy streets, and in decorative light fixtures, like those along Flat Rock Place.

The goal of the sample installations is to have residents view the LED illumination at each site and offer their comments on each to the town.

Bill Fish of the Energy Committee identified the six planned test installations last month.

A sample LED streetlight for a residential street—19 watts of 3000 degrees Kelvin (a measure of the relative color, with lower being warmer-toned and higher, cooler)—will be installed on Seaside Avenue adjacent to the town beach, midway along the parking lot on pole 840.

“This [LED fixture] has a light pattern in an oblong shape, focused on the road,” said Fish.

The second sample is one intended for a main thoroughfare (such as route One, 153, 145, and 166). This LED light—95 watts, also 3000 Kelvin—will be located near 465 Seaside Avenue at the intersection with Tarpon Avenue on pole 906.

“This [LED fixture] has a more round light pattern, designed to fill the road and/or intersection,” said Fish.

The third example will be one designed to replace floodlights and carries a higher Kelvin rating than the other two. This sample is a 133 watt fixture rated at 4000 Kelvin. It will be placed on the rear side of pole 972 over the entrance to the town beach parking lot.

“This 4000 Kelvin light is bluer than the 3000 Kelvin [fixtures] planned throughout town,” said Fish.

Now residents may go view all three LED installations and then provide comments to the town’s Energy Committee. A link to an online survey form will be posted on the Town of Westbrook website www.westbrookct.us.

Three other LED sample installations are planned to represent LED replacements within decorative streetlights that already exist in town. All three of these will be 3000-Kelvin-rated fixtures. The first will be in one of post-top globes on Flat Rock Place, the road that leads to the Shoreline Medical Center and Westbrook Outlets. The second will be in a post-top lantern-style fixtures with recessed bulb and no glass sides; this sample LED bulb will be at the intersection of Fairview Drive and Toby Hill Road. The third and final sample will be in a post-top decorative fixture with translucent chimney and glass sides at the end of Halls Road.

Once the survey is posted online at the town’s website, residents will have about two to three weeks to weigh in with their views.

At this point, Fish said that Town Attorney Michael Wells is working with Eversource to finalize the agreement for the town to buy its streetlights. Town funding to buy the lights is already approved.

Siemens will be doing the field work to convert existing fixtures to LED versions as soon as the firm completes its Old Saybrook streetlight conversion project. This work should be completed by March. If Westbrook can finalize ownership of its streetlights by that time, Siemens will move its crews to Westbrook to begin its next streetlight project.