SaskPower is piloting the use of LED streetlights, which are 40 to 60 per cent more energy efficient than traditional streetlights and require far less maintenance.

"We are after the very same qualities that have drawn homeowners to LED technology over the years. This pilot will show what impact the increased energy efficiency and reduced maintenance costs will have when the provincial rollout goes ahead," said Donavon Nelson, SaskPower's Director of Distribution Operations and Maintenance for southern Saskatchewan. "On the operations side, with very little regular maintenance required, crews can respond more quickly to street lights that do experience issues, and spend more time on other projects as we work to modernize the province's electrical grid."

The LED streetlight pilot will run from October to December, beginning in Regina and moving to Saskatoon. In Regina, nearly 1000 lights will be converted to LED along Lewvan Drive, the northeast industrial area, and the Lakewood Subdivision. In Saskatoon, approximately 500 LED lights will be installed in various locations in the northern part of the city. These areas were selected as they provide a range of settings to test the new streetlights, including heavy traffic areas, commercial and industrial parks and residential subdivisions.

The new LEDs are capable of future enhancements such as remote control operation and dimming capabilities. SaskPower's preliminary estimates suggest that lights installed during the pilot will reduce power demand by 92 kilowatts, enough to power approximately 92 homes. Once the successful pilot is completed, the province-wide rollout will happen over the course of the next 10 years. Installation will begin in larger centres where there are more streetlights with higher light output due to the traffic volume, and then move to smaller communities and rural areas.

At a glance...

• LED streetlights are 40 to 60 per cent more efficient than traditional ones and require far less maintenance
• Nearly 1000 will be installed in Regina, 500 in Saskatoon as part of pilot
• Province-wide rollout will begin after pilot, starting with heavy traffic areas in large cities