More than 350 energy-efficient induction and LED street lights are being installed in parts of the North Shore in a pilot program that could lead to meaningful economic, environmental and civic advantages for Chattanooga. Given the possible benefits, the project is a worthwhile undertaking.
The endeavor is funded by a federal grant to the city's Office of Sustainability and supplemented by the Parks and Recreation Department. It is designed to amass data on the energy savings produced by replacing high-pressure sodium lights currently in use with induction and light emitting diode fixtures. The savings could be considerable.
Officials estimate that the switch in lights in an area that encompasses Coolidge Park, the Riverpark, Tremont streets, Walnut Street and a part of Veteran's Bridge will reduce energy consumption at those sites by about 64 percent, and trim the city's energy bill for the area by about 43 percent. If that proves true and the city eventually switches all its street lights to more efficient models, the savings in energy costs could be enormous - perhaps millions of dollars over a few years.
Additional savings are expected, too. Because induction and LED lights last longer than the sodium lamps, the city likely will save in maintenance costs. The pilot program is designed to confirm those well-researched savings estimates.
Replacing the old lights should provide non-monetary benefits, as well. The new lights are radio-controlled, which allows individual control for each fixture. The ability to dim or brighten a light as needed should enhance the ability of public officials to respond more quickly to an incident or event that might threaten public safety. It's hard to put a price on such utility, but it surely would be considerable.
The environment should benefit from updated technology, too. The new lights consume less energy than the old. In the long-term that will contribute to reduced energy demand which, we know, leads to cuts in the amount of fossil fuels burned. That, in turn, reduces air pollution and acid rain, a much desired goal in a world where both play major roles in global warming and harmful climate change.
The North Shore lighting project directly addresses what David Crockett, the director of the office overseeing the project, correctly calls "all three bottom lines" of sustainability - community, environment and economy.
"The North Shore retrofit," he says, "will provide the community with a safer area to walk at night, reduce carbon emissions and provide a significant reduction in the city's energy bill."
Those are admirable goals. The city's willingness to pursue them is another sign of the progressivism that is necessary to build a community that is an attractive and safe place to work and to play.