TO:
VIA:
FROM:
DATE:
Placentia City Council
AGENDA REPORT
CITY COUNCIL
CITY ADMINISTRATOR
DEPUTY CITY ADMINISTRATOR / PUBLIC SERVICES AND INFRASTRUCTURE NOVEMBER 7, 2023
SUBJECT: STUDY SESSION: SCE LED STREELIGHT CONVERSION PROJECT FISCAL
IMPACT: NONE
SUMMARY:
As part of the adoption of the City's Five -Year Strategic Plan, City Council directed Staff to research the feasibility of replacing existing High Pressure Sodium Vapor (HPSV) streetlights in the City with the newer Light Emitting Diode (LED) technology. City Council also directed Staff to explore available funding opportunities to minimize the capital expenditures of LED replacement.
On July 25, 2023, the City Council approved an agreement with Southern California Edison (SCE) to convert eligible streetlights to LED using SCE's LS -1 Option E program.
The purpose of this Study Session is to provide the City Council with additional information regarding the program and to seek direction from Council on the color options for streetlights prior to the City and SCE commencing the LED Conversion project.
RECOMMENDATION:
It is recommended that the City Council take the following actions:
1. Receive and file the Staff report and Presentation; and
2. Ask any questions of Staff; and
3. Review, discuss and determine the color choice for residential and arterial streetlights; and
4. Authorize the City Administrator and/or his designee to submit the LED street light color choices to SCE for the Schedule LS -1 Option E, Energy Efficiency -Light Emitting Diode (LED) Fixture Replacement Rate Agreement for the City of Placentia and the SCE.
STRATEGIC PLAN STATEMENT
This item is consistent with the City Council approved 5 -Year Strategic Goal #5 to implement public infrastructure to meet community needs, under Objective #5.5, which is to transition all streetlights to LEDs.
3.a.
Nov. 07, 2023
City Council Agenda
November 7, 2023
DISCUSSION:
Background
There are a total of 3,656 streetlights throughout the City installed along residential, collector, and arterial streets. 3,463 of those lights are owned by Southern California Edison (SCE) and the City pays SCE a monthly facilities fee for each pole in addition to the cost of the electricity and maintenance needed for the light. These types of streetlights are referred to as LS -1 lights and fall under SCE's LS -1 cost tariff (the remaining 193 fixtures are owned by the City). Currently, a High - Pressure Sodium (HPSV) fixture is used on both LS -1 and City -owned streetlights. One of the goals of the City's Five -Year Strategic Plan is to convert all eligible streetlights in the City to LED technology.
On July 25, 2023, the City Council approved an agreement with SCE to convert all eligible streetlights to LED using SCE's LS -1 Option E program. Since June 1, 2016, SCE has offered the LS -1 Option E tariff rate which is a turn -key program for local governments to replace aging HPSV "cobra head" streetlights with new, more efficient LED streetlights. This tariff facilitates streetlight replacements with local government concurrence and authorization after which SCE manages the implementation from start to finish. Under this program, the City does not pay an upfront cost for the conversion of existing HPSV "cobra -head" fixtures to new, more efficient LED streetlights. SCE absorbs the conversion costs using an incentive program offered by the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC). Under the program, capital costs are amortized through energy savings over a 20 -year period with zero interest. Over the course of the initial 20 years, the City will see a cost reduction of $2,356,340 in current dollars which is net of the embedded recovery mechanism in the LS -1 Option E tariff.
Over 310,000 lights have been replaced by SCE over the last several years in communities across Southern California. Several Orange County cities have participated in the LS -Option E Program including Brea, Buena Park, Garden Grove, Huntington Beach, Laguna Niguel, Orange, and Yorba Linda. The new LED fixtures provide superior optics compared to the older generation HPSV lights, are dark sky compliant, and more effectively place light on the street surface with less light intrusion to residents. The lights also improve 'visual acuity," allowing drivers, pedestrians, and cyclists to see more clearly and with more detail during the evening hours, providing a safer night environment for our residents. SCE will utilize a standard wattage ratio to match existing lights and conditions on our streets.
City's Streetlight LED Conversion Program
As part of the LS -1 Option E program, the City will be converting 2,922 "cobra head style" SCE owned lights in Placentia to LED. The LS -1 lights with the decorative Mission Bell light fixture located in medians in all arterial streets of the City are not eligible for conversion under the current LS -1 Option E Program. As part of SCE's streetlight maintenance policy, SCE will upgrade the decorative Mission Bell lights to LED slowly over time on an individual basis when the existing HPSV light bulbs require replacement. When a street light repairman changes out a fixture in the field and moves from HPSV to LED, there is a reporting process to ensure that the new LED light is captured, and the billing change is initiated. Below are maintenance and replacement updates provided by SCE:
City Council Agenda
November 7, 2023
1. Cobra Head simple repairs — through the end of 2024, SCE will replace lamps and photo controllers only on LS -1 streetlights. On January 1, 2025, SCE will begin replacing all failures with LED fixtures.
2. As of January 1, 2024, SCE will replace LS -1 streetlights that require any repair beyond a simple Tamp or photo controller change -out with a new LED fixture.
3. As of January 1, 2024, all decorative fixtures on any SCE owned lighting tariff will be replaced with new LED fixtures upon failure.
4. OL -1 lights are already being changed out to LED for all repairs or replacements in order to make available HPSV lamps and photo controllers for LS -1 lights.
The proposed change of street lighting from the standard HPSVIamps to LED will impact the visual appearance of the lighting throughout the City, most notably related to the light color. The light generated by LED lamps looks different than the light produced by the current high pressure sodium lamps commonly used throughout the City. Color temperature is a characteristic of visible light and is stated in units of temperature, known as Kelvin (K). As shown in chart below, the current streetlights produce a light of 2,200 K which is commonly perceived to be orange in color.
Light temperature runs on a color spectrum numbered from zero (0) to ten thousand (10,000). As indicated in the chart below, lower temperatures produce a redder light, medium temperatures produce a whiter light, and higher temperatures produce a bluer light. The LS -1 Option E Program provides an option for either 2,700, 3000k or 4000k color temperature LED lights.
Table 1
Color Temperature in Kelvins (K)
1500 2000 2500 3000 3500 4000 4500 5000 5500 6000 6500 7000 7500 IN
Candlelight Warm Natural/Neutral Cool Daylight/Cold Ultra Daylight 1500K up to 3500K 3600K -4500K 4600K -5500K 5600K -6400K 6500K+ Color Temperature Descriptions
Through careful photometric planning, LED lighting contributes to the reduction of Tight pollution and helps maintain the City's dark skies. LED technology is designed to direct light toward the street and sidewalk areas. This feature reduces light spillover toward windows and unwanted areas. In the event there are challenges with lighting spillover, shielding can be installed by SCE to minimize any nuisance impacts.
Staff is seeking direction from the City Council on the color options for streetlights prior to the City and SCE commencing the LED Conversion project. SCE no longer offers pilot demonstration
City Council Agenda
November 7, 2023
programs for Option E due to the large number of lights in surrounding communities and areas that can be observed. Within SCE's service territory, 90 plus percent of communities who converted their streetlights to LED are utilizing the 3,000k color temperature as a standard. Some communities continue to utilize the 4000k only on arterial and main streets. For example, in the city of Brea all the streetlights that SCE owns are 3000k. In 2019, SCE completed the LED streetlight conversion for the County of Orange, utilizing 4000k LED fixtures on arterial streets (lights greater than 100 -watt equivalent). SCE's typical standard for a combined color temperature approach (3000k/4000k) is to place 3000k on lights 100 watts or Tess and 4000k on lights that are greater than 100 watts (150 watts and up). Those wattages are the HPSV wattages currently in the field pre -replacement. In the City of Yorba Linda, SCE implemented a 3000k/4000k combination in that community as well. For residential streets, the 3000k light would be a better match for the City's existing HPSV lights. The 4000k light would be better suited for arterial streets.
Smart Community Technology Attachment Pilot Program
Additionally, SCE has offered the opportunity for the City of Placentia to participate in a Smart Community Technology Attachment (SCTA) demonstration/pilot effort. The pilot is being offered to a limited and defined number of communities to ensure that SCE and the included communities can feel comfortable that attachments on SCE streetlights for SCTA devices can be accomplished safely, and in a way that does not hinder the provision of street lighting or utility services.
Placentia has been included in this pilot program offering and will be allowed to work with SCE to place customer owned SCTA devices on a limited number of poles (number to be determined) but likely not to exceed 10% of the standalone streetlights in the community. Devices will only be allowed on stand-alone streetlights — not on any infrastructure that is supporting or directly tied to distribution infrastructure (wood distribution poles carrying electricity to other customers as an example). The SCTA devices will be powered through a connection to the SCE streetlight and SCE will share the size, weight, and wind -loading requirements for devices to be placed. SCE will be utilizing the Wireless Technology Tariff (WTR) to facilitate the placement of smart community technology attachments so there won't be a separate agreement the City needs to enter into with SCE. SCE is currently working with their regulatory team to simplify the application specifically for the SCTA devices.
SCE will approve the sites for each device to ensure that the SCTA devices do not replace or interfere with existing SCE devices utilized to control distribution or facilitate metering systems. The devices will be under the ownership, maintenance, and operation of the City. The devices will be placed by a qualified electrical contractor hired by the City with experience in working with street lighting systems. Staff will share future information with the Council regarding this project as it becomes available.
Review dd and approved:
Elsa Y. Robinson Luis Estevez
Senior Management Analyst
Deputy City Administrator
City Council Agenda
November 7, 2023
Reviewed and approved:
D mierrR.. hula
City Administrator
Attachment:
Presentation