Detroit basically completed the replacement of nearly 20,000 faulty LED street lights

The Detroit City Public Lighting Authority announced on Monday that it is expected to complete the replacement of nearly 20,000 LED street lights, which are flawed, leading to premature dimming and malfunction.

The replacement is expected to cost between $7 million and $8 million, a step ahead of the lighting administration's goal earlier this year, replacing 19,500 luminaires by the end of the year. The agency is funding the project and is seeking compensation from California-based lighting manufacturer Leotek Electronics USA.

According to the law firm of the Lighting Authority, a routine survey of lighting systems last year showed that after the defective lamps produced by Leotek were “burnt, burned or cracked”, the replacement work began.

Thor Scordelis, general manager of Leotek US, said on Sunday that since the dispute in December last year, the company has been in close communication with the Public Lighting Authority through direct dialogue or through their lawyers. “This is an independent design flaw, not all installations have problems,” Scordelis wrote in an email. “We have acted quickly to replace equipment that does not meet performance specifications. We have made every effort to resolve this issue.”

Scordelis said that since June, Leotek has provided 8,179 alternative lighting fixtures for the city. The lighting authorities have installed 1,500 replacement luminaires from Leotek, and Beau Taylor, executive director of the Public Lighting Authority, said this is another model. Manufacturers provide lighting to the city for free.

Other lights replaced were from America's Green Line, General Electric and Cree Inc.