LED street lights installed in Chicago can save half of electricity bills

Last year, Chicago developed a four-year streetlight modernization program. A year has passed, and more than 76,000 LED street lights have been installed in Chicago, mainly in the south and west of Chicago, because these areas are prone to violence.

By switching to energy-efficient LED streetlights, Chicago is expected to cut streetlight bills by half, and officials expect it to save about $100 million in 10 years. According to a press release issued by the Mayor's Office of Rahm Emanuel, the utility of the first year of the streetlight modernization program is estimated to save up to $1 million.

The Chicago Transit Authority plans to replace 270,000 streets, alleys and viaduct lights with high-quality LED fixtures for four years. Chicago is also installing a citywide lighting management system for new LED lights. According to the mayor's office, the lighting management system will be operational later this year, and the system will remind the municipality when maintenance lights are needed.

CDOT Commissioner Rebekah Scheinfeld said in a statement, "We are very pleased with the progress made in the first year of the Chicago Smart Lighting Program." "Our goal is to provide clearer, more reliable streetlights for every Chicago community. People save a lot of money."