Purchase Order for 6.6 Series Streetlight Transformers
April 04, 2023
DATE: April 4, 2023
TO: Honorable Mayor and City Council
FROM: Paul Cranmer, Public Works Services Director
By: Carmen Masud, Deputy Public Works Services Director
SUBJECT: PURCHASE ORDER WITH SOUTH COAST LIGHTING & DESIGN FOR THE PURCHASE OF 6.6 SERIES STREETLIGHT TRANSFORMERS IN
THE AMOUNT OF $87,600.24
CEQA: Exempt
Recommendation: Approve
SUMMARY
The City of Arcadia’s street lighting system is comprised of over 3,900 Southern California Edison (“SCE”) and City owned streetlights. There are about 400 City owned streetlights that use an outdated design concept called 6.6 Series streetlights. Replacement parts to maintain the 6.6 Series streetlights are no longer available. The Public Works Services Department (“PWSD”) located a vendor that specializes in maintaining 6.6 Series streetlights and that manufactured an isolation transformer, which significantly increases the reliability of the system.
It is recommended that the City Council approve a sole source purchase order with South Coast Lighting & Design for the purchase of 6.6 amp isolation transformers in the amount of $87,600.24.
BACKGROUND
The City of Arcadia owns and maintains approximately 400 6.6 Series streetlights located in three areas of the City (Santa Anita Oaks, Rancho Santa Anita, and Santa Anita Village). These 6.6 Series streetlights are wired using a method referred to as “series wiring” and can no longer be maintained due to the inability to obtain replacement parts.
The basis of this system is that if one light fails along the series, the entire circuit goes dark, much like traditional holiday lights. Rewiring the entire 6.6 Series circuit system into a modern parallel lighting system would cost about $6 million. For this reason, the PWSD has been looking for ways to prolong the life span of the 6.6 Series streetlights. To do so, many of the 6.6 Series streetlights were retrofitted using a ballast-type kit to convert incandescent lamps into high-pressure sodium lamps. However, these kits can no longer
Purchase Order for 6.6 Series Streetlight Transformers
April 04, 2023
be used because they draw too much power from SCE’s transformer. When too many high-pressure sodium ballast kits are installed, they overload the transformer, causing the streetlights to malfunction. The PWSD discovered that this is occurring now at the Altura/Panorama feed point. Recent isolation transformer technology can convert these series circuits into parallel circuits at the light pole, which enables the use of low wattage LED lamps. The LED lamps consume much less power than high-pressure sodium ballast retrofit kits that have been utilized. To test this new technology, in 2018, the PWSD organized a 6.6 Series streetlight retrofit pilot project and upgraded 63 streetlights with isolation transformers and LED lamps. This effort restored power to many streetlights that were not working.
DISCUSSION
There are 104 high-pressure sodium streetlights on Altura Road that are currently not working because these streetlights are drawing too much power from SCE’s transformer.
The new isolation transformers manufactured by OV20 Systems, LLC were specifically designed to reduce the amperage to match SCE’s electrical output. Previously the PWSD was able to install a few OV20 System, LLC, isolation transformers to restore 6.6 Series streetlights that went out; the PWSD has found that all 104 streetlights in the Altura/Panorama feed point need to be replaced with OV20 Systems isolation transformers to restore lighting. The OV20 Systems isolation transformer will be used to repair the 6.6 ampere 2500-volt 6.6 Series lights that are currently non-operational. The isolation transformers manufactured by OV20 Systems, LLC are a proprietary design product that cannot be obtained from an alternative vendor. There are currently no other products available that perform a similar function as the OV20 System isolation transformers. South Coast Lighting & Design is the exclusive distributor of this product.
Therefore, it is recommended that the City Council approve a sole source purchase order with South Coast Lighting & Design for the purchase of the isolation transformers.
ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYSIS
The proposed action does not constitute a project under the California Environmental Quality Act (“CEQA”), and it can be seen with certainty that it will have no impact on the environment. Thus, this matter is exempt under CEQA.
FISCAL IMPACT
Each isolation transformer costs $764. The total cost for the purchase of 104 units, including tax and delivery charges is $87,600.24. Sufficient funds are available in the Department’s Fiscal Year 2022-23 Lighting District Operating Budget for the purchase of the isolation transformers.
Purchase Order for 6.6 Series Streetlight Transformers
April 04, 2023
RECOMMENDATION
It is recommended that the City Council determine that this action does not constitute a project, and therefore, is exempt under the California Environmental Quality Act (“CEQA”); and approve a Purchase Order with South Coast Lighting & Design for the purchase of 6.6 Series Streetlight Transformers in the amount of $87,600.24.