Wyoming DoT uses LED lighting on state roadways to reduce energy cost

TIN news:    Wyoming Department of Transportation (WYDOT) in the US is upgrading the lighting on state roadways to LED, which is expected to help save $690,000 a year in energy costs.
 
To be carried out by Casper's Modern Electric, the upgrades have been started in the Casper area.
 
The upgrades will go on during the course of the next year spreading to different parts of the state and finally ending at the Green River Tunnels on I-80 in mid-2015.
"The beauty of this programme is that it allows us to make these upgrades and reduce our energy needs without having to use money that could be used on the highways."
 
As part of the project, Modern Electric will upgrade a total of 5,267 light fixtures, including high mast tower lighting at interchanges and rest areas, roadside and area lighting, parking area fixtures and lighting at road closure gates.
 
The $10.7m project is the second phase of WYDOT's Energy Savings Programme that began in 2012. Completion of both phases will result in departmental savings of approximately $16.5m.
 
WYDOT state field operations engineer Mark Eisenhart said: "That is money that won't be going to utility companies and that will be available for other uses.
 
"The beauty of this programme is that it allows us to make these upgrades and reduce our energy needs without having to use money that could be used on the highways.
 
"Our maintenance of that roadway lighting is going to be dramatically less, because now, instead of someone having to get up there and change out those bulbs maybe every year or every other year, we'll only have to do that every ten to 15 years, depending on how the LED bulbs hold up."