City Council
November 2023
Series Street Lighting & Pilot Projects Update
1 Street Light System Overview
2 City owns and maintains approximately 7,000 street lights SCE provides the power to the street light systems with the City owning and maintaining the poles, fixtures, conduit and wiring from the SCE power source and transformers Approximately 3,500 lights are on the low-voltage (parallel) system Converted to LED fixtures
Approximately 3,500 lights are on the high-voltage (series) system Cannot be converted to LED fixtures
System is antiquated and obsolete
Neighborhoods are going dark due to damage to circuitry or SCE transformers
System Location
3 High Voltage System Issues
4 Lighting circuits and fixtures can no longer be reliably, and cost effectively operated and maintained.
Transformer failures now take weeks to resolve resulting in neighborhoods being dark at night.
Damage to wiring (typically by contractors) is taking longer to repair.
SCE transformer manufacturers are no longer willing to produce and sell the Regulated Output (RO) transformers which the high voltage street light system relies on.
To make the switch to modern street light technology, not only do the SCE transformers need to be replaced (by SCE), but the City owned circuit wiring and light fixtures must also be replaced Increased duration for SCE to address issues
High Voltage System Options
5 Option 1 – SCE Takes Ownership
SCE will install wood street light poles and overhead wiring NOTE: new pilot may be expanded, which include concrete poles.
Option 2 – City replaces outdated wiring and fixtures and established new service type SCE replaces old transformers
High capital costs to City (preliminary estimates of $35M+ to replace entire system) Option 3 – Install solar fixtures on existing poles
Tree canopy an issue
Long term replacement/maintenance cost TBD
Pilot 1 – Solar Lights
6 Pilot Solar Lights – Various Locations
Chapman Avenue at the Post Office near Victoria Avenue
One Light installed approximately 4 years ago
Baker Area
One Light installed approximately 4 years ago
Edgar Avenue
Two Lights installed approximately 7 years ago
Early technology - Not recommended
Replaced with currently preferred light
Pilot 1 – Solar Lights
7 Pilot Solar Project – Rolling Hills Area
Rolling Hills Area circuit has approximately 100 fixtures Circuit has experienced multiple transformer failures
Summer 2022, the City installed solar fixtures on 25 poles Currently, no issues and no complaints
Pilot SCE Conversion Project – Lillie Area (Commonwealth-State College Area) Approximately 38 lights covering residential and arterial streets SCE to replace City owned series circuit/lights with SCE owned LED lights No cost to City
Remove all City poles and abandon existing circuit
LED lights on new concrete poles with overhead power
SCE working on final plans for City review
Account transfers from LS-2 to LS-1
Community Meeting scheduled for July 25
Agreement approved by Council on August 1
Pilot 2 – SCE Conversion
8 Richman Circuit Design
9 NORESCO Energy Infrastructure Project – Richman Area
Project scope includes a full design to replace Richman Area circuit Approximately 100 lights
Design package will provide City with current costs, construction impacts, SCE cabinet locations, etc.
Guideline for all areas of the City
‘Shovel Ready’ plan set if funding becomes available
Miscellaneous
10 Department of Energy Grant
Approximately $180,000 recently awarded
City programming funds for design conversion of high voltage circuits or a more robust solar light pilot Bond Financing
At that time, options would provide approximately $10-12M in financing and require a 12-15 year repayment plan.
City executed agreement with SCE LS-1 Option E program
Replace approximately 600 SCE owned HPS luminaires with LED luminaires Estimated annual savings is $30k
Questions