The City of Valdosta is one of the first eight cities in the state to convert to new Light-Emitting Diode Roadway Lighting offered by Georgia Power. As a result, more than 3,600 of Valdosta’s 6,200 street light fixtures will be replaced over the next four months at no cost to the city—part of a Georgia Power capital investment project to install approximately 407,000 LED roadway lighting fixtures in communities across the state over the next four years. This initiative was one of many that led to the city being named the Smart Energy Municipality of the Year by the Technology Association of Georgia in December 2014.
 
On August 17, Georgia Power will begin replacing all 100-, 150- and 250-watt light fixtures located on city streets. Click here to view the grid map that indicates the areas in which the crews will be working throughout the project. Each fixture will take at least 15 minutes to install, and motorists are urged to use caution when passing the Utility Lines Construction truck during these periodic stops under street lights. The installation of this lighting will not interfere with citizens’ power service.
 
“We are pleased to be one of the first local governments in Georgia to work in partnership with Georgia Power to convert to the LED Roadway Lighting. We believe that reducing our city’s carbon footprint is a smart and responsible thing to do,” said City Manager Larry Hanson, adding that these fixtures contain no hazardous materials and are recyclable. “This longer-lasting, energy-efficient lighting is expected to reduce our energy consumption, while improving light quality and making our city safer for our citizens.”
 
LED Roadway Lighting is a relatively new technology that will provide many features and benefits at no extra cost to the city. The broad-spectrum white light allows the eyes to see better and has improved color rendering and small-target visibility, all of which enhance safety and security throughout the city. Citizens will notice the reduction of sky glow and even distribution of light on the roadway, as this improvement is intended to effectively light up the streets and sidewalks, not the skyline or neighborhood yards.
 
The energy-efficient lighting also has a longer life-expectancy of up to 10 years and will be maintained by Georgia Power. Each LED roadway fixture will have a networked lighting control installed that will automatically turn the lights on at dusk and off at dawn. The networked lighting controls allow for remote monitoring and diagnostics enabling Georgia Power to find and fix lights that are not working properly long before anyone else can detect a problem.
 
Decorative light fixtures, such as those located downtown, and higher wattage fixtures will not be replaced at this time but are part of a future phase of the Georgia Power project.
 
The LED Roadway Lighting project is expected to be completed by late December 2015. On the city’s website, citizens may access the grid map, FAQ sheets, images of the new street fixtures, before and after photos and information concerning the progress of the installation. For additional information, click here or call Georgia Power Account Manager Robby Hastings at (888) 660-5890.