Chances are good that if you’ve been downtown after dark recently, you’ve noticed things are brighter. That’s because the Shreveport DDA has been able to change every public street light with energy-efficient, bright LED lights that have a dual benefit of both saving money and fossil fuels. The nearly $170,000 project was made possible by District 5 Public Service Commissioner Foster Campbell, who initiated the Energy Efficiency for Public Entities grant program. Low bidder on the downtown project was Rimmer Electric Co. who was a great partner and went above and beyond in assisting us with a complete public light census of existing issues with downtown Streetscape and Cobra light poles. Our thanks to both Commissioner Campbell and Rimmer Electric for making this downtown improvement possible!
From left- Jason Pickett and Adam Rimmer of Rimmer Electric. Co, Public Service Commissioner Foster Campbell and Liz Swaine, DDA.
Rimmer Electric changing out a cobra head shoebox light on Marshall Street downtown.
UPDATE! Chances are good you’ve seen the Rimmer Electric lift or bucket truck in downtown Shreveport over the past few weeks- by the end of the year, you’ll see downtown in a whole new light! The Shreveport DDA won a $217,000 grant from District 5 Public Service Commissioner Foster Campbell as part of Energy Efficiency for Public Entities. This allows for a bulb and box changeout of all the 800+ public lighting fixtures downtown. Not only are we seeing more light downtown, but the light is all the same color temperature giving it a nice uniformity. One of the biggest benefits of the conversion is the cost savings to the City of Shreveport, the entity that owns – and pays the electric bill for- all on-street downtown lighting. The estimated yearly savings in switching to energy efficient LED is $80,000-$120,000. Using the lower number, $80,000, we see that the the grant pays for itself in 2.7 years. Using the higher $120,000, it pays for itself in under TWO years. The LED bulbs are also rated at a much longer lifespan that the current metal halide lighting. We see no downside to this great project and sincerely thank Commissioner Campbell for the opportunity to LIGHT UP downtown!
Rimmer Electric is blowing and going with the downtown LED lighting conversion. The bulb changeout on most of the decorative smaller ‘Streetscape’ lights is complete and they have moved to the ‘shoebox’ intersection fixtures. Rimmer’s crew averaged change outs of 50-60 per day on the decorative light poles, and about 25 per day on the so-called ‘cobrahead’ lamps. Estimates are that the entire project could be complete- weather permitting- in 3-4 more weeks. The Shreveport DDA won a $217,000 grant from District 5 Public Service Commissioner Foster Campbell as part of Energy Efficiency for Public Entities. This allows for a bulb and box changeout of all the 800+ public lighting fixtures downtown.
Crews from Rimmer Electric working to update downtown’s lighting to LED.
You’ll soon be able to see downtown in a whole new light. The Shreveport DDA won a $217,000 grant from District 5 Public Service Commissioner Foster Campbell as part of Energy Efficiency for Public Entities. With the money, we are paying for the retrofit of all lights in the public domain to convert to energy efficient LED lighting. It may surprise you to learn that there are nearly 800 ‘public’ lights downtown, everything from the single globe decorative ‘Streetscape’ poles to the arched arm intersection box lights.
As of Wednesday, Oct. 28, 394 LED bulbs had been installed in the Streetscape decorative poles. The Streetscape poles are the first to be converted; the last will be the more modern-looking box lights at most of the intersections downtown. Once completed, the LED lights will all have the same color and light intensity, and save both money and fossil fuels! Our thanks to Commissioner Campbell for making this needed change possible.
