South Bend to test high-efficiency street lights

Grant paying for pilot program.

By KEVIN ALLEN

South Bend Tribune

5:29 PM EST, January 19, 2012

SOUTH BEND -- The city is testing an idea that could lighten its electric bills.

Thanks to an $18,750 grant from Wells Fargo, city officials are going to see if a new technology can cut the amount of power needed to light South Bend's streets.

Jon Burke, the city's municipal energy director, said Thursday that the city will use about two-thirds of that money to install induction lights in some areas of down-town. The other third will be spent on urban-agriculture programs in the city.

Burke said induction lighting consumes about half the energy of conventional lighting.

He said the pilot project could grow into a larger partnership with Indiana Michigan Power to replace about 13,000 street lights throughout South Bend. The city pays about $85,000 a month to light city streets.

"If we can deploy this kind of technology," Burke said, "in the long term, once the capital investment is paid off, we could potentially save a very large portion of that $85,000 per month."

Induction lights also re-quire less maintenance, Burke said, because they have a longer life than conventional and LED lights.

The lighting project is part of an effort to devise a larger strategic energy plan for the city. Mayor Pete Buttigieg said that plan will be rolled out later this year.

Burke said the goal for the urban-agriculture portion of the grant is to support a gardening group in each quadrant of the city.

Staff writer Kevin Allen:
kallen@sbtinfo.com
574-235-6244