Opportunity
On May 4, 2007, tragedy struck Greensburg, Kansas when an EF-5 tornado 1.5 miles wide completely devastated the community of 1,389. With less than 10 percent of all buildings standing, the City was declared a National Disaster Area.
Several months after the devastation, the community regrouped and developed a plan to rebuild. The goal was not only to rebuild, but to develop an economic and environmentally sustainable community for today and future generations. City planners agreed that using energy-efficient LED lighting for streets and outdoor areas met the economic and environmentally sustainable goals.
Solution
Funded by outside grant money, the City replaced all 303 high-pressure sodium streetlights with a combination of Cree Edge™ area lights and LEDway® streetlights. The City of Greensburg became the first city in the U.S. to install all LED streetlights. Professional Engineering Consultants (PEC), headquartered in Wichita, Kansas, designed the streetlighting for the City. “In order to meet project objectives, we needed an economically viable and environmentally sustainable LED lighting solution,” said Tim Lenz, PEC Principal and Project Manager. “Cree delivered both with a well-built product, precise distribution patterns and proper heat management. We’re very pleased with the results.”
Benefits
Officials estimate that the LED lights will save the City approximately 70 percent in energy and maintenance costs and about 40 tons of CO2 (38 percent) annually compared to traditional high-pressure sodium lights. The Cree lights are constructed without any mercury or other heavy metals, are 99 percent recyclable and are Dark Sky compliant. The NanoOptic® technology precisely delivers light into target areas helping to create a safer environment for vehicle and pedestrian traffic by eliminating dark spots between fixtures.
“Residents have all positive things to say about the Cree fixtures,” said Kim Alderfer, Greensburg Assistant City Administrator/Recovery Coordinator, “The quality of light on the roadways is greatly improved and people really like the sleek look of the fixtures.”
Products Used
