Rather than sending workers out once a year to replace burned out signals, Duritsch said LED bulbs should only have to be changed every seven years.
“When you’re dealing with limited resources, not having to go out and change bulbs as often works to your advantage,” Duritsch said.
Roy Dalton, senior electronics tech, said the city started experimenting with LED bulbs around 2002, converting an entire intersection and comparing meter readings before and after the change. That initial research showed a dramatic savings, dropping the amperage required to run the signal from around 10 amps down to nearly three.
“We’ve basically cut the electric bill for our traffic lights by about 90 percent,” he said.
Dalton estimates the changeover cost the city approximately $150 per signal, for a total somewhere in the neighborhood of $16,800.
Ironically, the very same energy inefficiency that keeps electricity bills down could become a concern as winter weather hits the area. Because incandescent bulbs lost so much energy in the form of heat, they inadvertently helped keep snow from accumulating on traffic signals.
But because LED bulbs do not produce enough excess heat to melt that same snow, Dalton said they can easily become obstructed in a heavy storm.
“We don’t really get enough snow to worry about it,” Dalton said. “We have to go out with a broom and sweep them out occasionally, but it’s not an ongoing problem.”
Contact this reporter at (513) 705-2871 or rgauthier@coxohio.com.
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