Greenville First City to Pilot LED Fixtures in SC

GREENVILLE, SC – May 22, 2012 – Mayor Knox White joined representatives from Hubbell Lighting, GE, Duke Energy and the Green Ribbon Advisory Committee to announce the first Light Emitting Diode (LED) Streetlight Pilot program in South Carolina. LED lights have been installed on Main Street between Beattie Street and East North Street as part of a six-month pilot by Duke Energy. 

The LED pilot program is one of three components of the Greening of Greenville program, which has sought to increase energy efficiency in buildings and public real estate, while also decreasing vehicle pollution by testing new vehicle technologies. The other components of the program are the EV Ecosystem, including the WeCar sharing program, and Duke Energy’s Smart Building Advantage program. 

“We have been a proud partner with the City on the Greening of Greenville,” said Catherine E. Heigel, President of Duke Energy South Carolina. “Through pilot programs like the LED program, we are able to test some of the latest technologies and get valuable feedback from the public.”
 

The LED Streetlight Pilot has been designed to test various fixtures for aesthetics, maintenance, power consumption, light quality and public safety. Hubbell Lighting and GE have provided two varieties of LED cobra head fixtures that are being used to light the street. Hubbell Lighting has also provided four styles of LED pedestrian lighting for the sidewalk areas: Cubic Indirect (shaded), Parkway Square (square), Promenade (enclosed harp) and Providence (open harp). One or more of these fixture types could replace some of the lights in the Main Street area. As part of the program, citizens can provide feedback on the lights by visiting http://www.greeningofgreenville.com/led-streetlight-pilot.php.
 
The existing lights in downtown were installed as part of the original Main Street renovations more than 30 years ago and the fixtures are no longer mass-produced. The original fixtures use mercury vapor bulbs, which are becoming obsolete due to higher efficiency lamps and concerns about their toxic mercury content.
 
“We are excited that we are able to display the latest in lighting technology in our hometown,” said Scott H. Muse, President of Hubbell Lighting, Inc. “Hubbell Lighting has chosen to display four of its latest LED pedestrian styles that we feel complement the design of downtown and we are excited to be part of what could be the next generation of lighting for downtown Greenville.”
 
“The LED lighting was chosen for the pilot because its brightness is equal to or greater than existing lighting technologies (incandescent or fluorescent) and light is well distributed over the area lighted by the fixture,” said Michael Kerski, the City’s Economic Development Manager. “The light output also remains more constant over time, only decreasing towards the end of the rated lifetime.” According to Kerski, LEDs also provide excellent color quality, as the shade of white light appears clear and consistent over time, and the efficiency is as good as or better than fluorescent lighting.
 
According to Mayor Knox White, the start of today’s six-month pilot continues the City’s long history of public-private partnerships and is just part of a longer-term process to make Greenville greener and more livable for it citizens. “With the LED Streetlight Pilot, we continue to show that downtown Greenville is at the forefront of creating great public spaces and showcasing technology. This lighting pilot will allow our partners and the public to measure the impact of this new technology and hopefully set a path forward for downtown’s future lighting.”
 
For more information about the LED Streetlight Pilot and the Greening of Greenville initiative, visit www.greeningofgreenville.com.