New lighting uses less wattage for up to a 72% savings in electric costs

North Hempstead, NY – North Hempstead Town Supervisor Judi Bosworth and Council Member Viviana Russell have announced that the Town’s Department of Public Works has installed 63 new Light Emitting Diodes (LED) High Pressure Sodium street lights along Old Country in Westbury from Wantagh Parkway to School Street and on Old Country Road from the Carle Road to Vanderbilt Drive in Carle Place. The new LED lights are expected to provide up to a 72% savings in electrical costs. The funding for the lighting comes from the Town Sidewalk District’s capital plan.

“Replacing existing street lighting with more reliable, efficient and long-lasting LEDS will improve the lighting in the neighborhood, all while reducing electrical costs for our taxpayers,” said Supervisor Bosworth.

The Westbury/Old Country Road project replaced 35 old and unreliable incandescent 200-watt fixtures with LED fixtures that use just 110 watts. The Carle Place/Old Country Road project replaced 28, 400-watt lights with 110 watt LED lights.

The LED lights have a Color Temperature (CT) of 4000 degrees Kelvin. CT is a measure of the spectral content of light from a source, i.e., how much, blue, green, yellow and red there is in it. A higher CT rating generally means a higher blue content and the whiter appearance of the light, but some critics of LED lights say that the higher rated lights (for example, 6500K) are too harsh and cause discomfort to the eyes. The LED lights being installed have a low CT of 4000K, to coincide with the LED lights installed on the other side of the road, which is under Nassau County jurisdiction.

“Energy conservation is a key component of our environmental mission in the Town and this project certainly helps us to meet that goal,” Council Member Russell said. “The new lighting will also enhance safety by making everything more visible.”