Newtown Replacing Lights with LED Fixtures Aiming to Save Lots of Money Over Time

The Newtown Township building on Route 413 and Municipal Drive.

Before agreeing to replace Newtown Township’s streetlights with LED fixtures, officials did the math and it added up: spend $720,000, but save $43,679 annually so that in 20 years there will be a yearly gain of $153,210.

‘Unlike many projects that you have to expend money for, the streetlight program is actually going to pay you back over time and pay for itself over time through those operational cost savings,” said Michael Fuller of Keystone Lighting Solutions and technical advisor, Regional Street lighting Procurement Program, Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission.

A total of 190 cobrahead streetlights and more than 1,400 four-sided decorative Colonial fixtures will be converted to LED lighting under the $720,000 project to be undertaken this spring. A brighter 4,000k LED will target higher traffic areas and major roads, while subdued 3,000k LED will be on local and residential streets.

“It basically allows us to get the light to where it needs to be shining on the highways and sidewalks for safety purposes,” said Fuller.

The conversion to LED will save the township $43,679 annually in operational and maintenance costs, he said, and by year 20 the township will net $153,210 each year.

“This is a one-for-one fixture replacement,” he said at a recent supervisors’ public meeting.