Cincinnati Street Lights

Background

One of America’s largest municipalities, the city of Cincinnati is steeped in tradition and history dating back to the 1790s. The city is home to some of the most unique architecture in the country, and preservation has long been a Cincinnati hallmark. In recent years, Cincinnati has turned to using modern technology to improve the overall community.

Situation

A community-wide green initiative was endorsed by the city council and a comprehensive contract was awarded to Honeywell Energy Services to design and implement energy savings projects among city-owned properties. Outdoor lighting, especially street lighting, was quickly identified as a significant opportunity to save energy, and with it came the potential to reduce city maintenance expenses. Beyond that, improved lighting quality also carried strong safety implications for the community.

Solution

Honeywell partnered with Eco Engineering to audit, design, and implement the outdoor lighting system. We retrofitted nearly 50 different types of outdoor lamps, using only 12, standardized LED technologies. This project included developing customized street lamps and components to fit historical, antique, and decorative fixtures throughout the city. The lighting project spanned parks, recreation centers, and overpass/underpass lighting. This aspect presented a notable challenge given that many of the spaces that needed new lighting systems were “always on,” and implementations needed to cater to that environment.

The LED solution deployed lamps rated for over 100,000 hours of use, with 10-year warranties that guaranteed enhanced brightness and more consistent performance from street lights over a longer period of time. The resulting maintenance savings were significant.