The complete conversion from older streetlights could save towns

The introduction of brighter led suppliers to Provincetown has had its ups and downs, according to a Cape Light Compact official, but the group is hoping that the board of selectmen will give its nod of final approval tonight.

The Compact is a regional organization formed in 1997 by towns and counties on Cape Cod and Martha’s Vineyard to increase energy conservation and to provide competitive energy supply rates.

Over the winter, the Compact installed light-emitting diode (led bulbs) demonstration streetlights in 17 towns as part of a goal to retrofit all municipally owned streetlights by 2014. There are approximately 14,000 town-owned streetlights on the Cape and Vineyard, according to the Compact. In total, the complete conversion from older streetlights could save towns and counties $500,000 annually, according to the Compact.

In Provincetown there are about 420 streetlights, and the town could save about $21,000 on its electricity bill each year by converting to the 12 volt led bulbs.

The town’s walking and biking traditions have required a bit of fine-tuning to the demonstration streetlights, more so than in the region’s larger towns where streetlights are more geared toward drivers, Compact program manager Kevin Galligan said.

The pilot streetlights in Province-town are in the vicinity of Commercial and Tremont streets, as a residential district pilot, and also at Commercial and Court streets, as a business district pilot.

Across all 17 towns, the Compact received about 100 responses. But Provincetown, by far, drew the most comments. “It’s much more of a pedestrian-oriented village,” Galligan said. “People were observing them more as pedestrians.”

On Wednesday, Compact officials adjusted the lights more in the Tremont Street area, trying to soften and warm the lights to something resembling moonlight and installing shields that narrow the scope of the lights.

“People didn’t want to have a massive amount of illumination,” Galligan said about homes, businesses and even park benches along Commercial Street.

The board of selectmen will discuss the conversion to LED streetlights at its meeting tonight and likely take a vote to allow the town to be part of the Compact’s bulk purchase, board of selectmen Chairman Austin Knight said Tuesday.

In the deal with towns, the Compact would cover the cost of conversion but the towns are responsible for police detail during installation, maintenance and for special orders.

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