Customers happy with new streetlights, say PUC

A retrofit of the city’s 9,050 streetlights to LED fixtures is over 10-percent complete and the PUC say the majority of their customers are happy with the change.

PUC communications supervisor Giordan Zin said feedback has been overwhelmingly supportive of the change from the existing High Pressure Sodium (HPS) streetlights.

“The majority of the comments we have received are positive. People like [the LED lamps]. They say the roadway is better illuminated, it is a crisper, cleaner light,” said Zin.

Zin said retrofitting will pause for the winter months starting January 1 and will resume in April.

At that time the Adaptive Control System will be added to the fixtures.

“It will tell us when a pole is burned out or if there is an issue and it is on during the day, it’ll tell us. We won’t need to rely on customers calling in or [PUC] having to patrol,” said Zin.

The system will also allow PUC to control the brightness level of each LED lamp individually.

Ward 1 city councillor Paul Christian said he has heard from about a half dozen of his constituents, who are mostly supportive of the retrofit.

"What they are finding is — especially on a lot of the streets in the east end where lighting is only on one side of the street — the illumination is broader and brighter [than HPS fixtures],” said Christian.

In September PUC announced the purchase and installation of the lamps would cost an estimated $9-million.

The project is slated to complete in fall of 2016, at that time the energy savings will start being fully realized.

“Once it is all said and done, the energy saved for the entire year will be enough to power 400 homes,” said Zin.

The following is a news release from PUC:

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With the first month of construction wrapping up on the LED Streetlight Conversion Project, PUC is pleased to provide customers with a status update on the project.

At the time of this release, the conversion project is on schedule, with over 1,200 of the city’s approximate 9,050 HPS (High Pressured Sodium) streetlights converted to LED (Light Emitting Diode) fixtures.

“We’ve been fortunate that the weather has been very cooperative,” says, Darren Seabrook, PUC Electrical Distribution Engineer. “Because of November’s mild temperatures and lack of snow, we’ve been able to get a healthy start to the project. Which is good news because our target is to have the project complete by October 2016,” says, Seabrook.

The aggressive timeline is necessary because, for PUC to obtain the Independent Electricity System Operator (IESO) incentive of approximately $900,000, the project needs to be complete by the end of 2016.

In addition to using much less energy and having a longer life cycle, the new LED fixtures will also have an Adaptive Control System incorporated into the lights.

Once installed, the Adaptive Control System will detect malfunctioning streetlights and transmit this information wirelessly back to PUC.

This system not only notifies PUC if a light happens to malfunction, but it also allows for the real-time monitoring of each lights’ energy consumption.

Unfortunately, until the Adaptive Control System is operational (expected in early 2016), PUC will be asking for the public's assistance in identifying any streetlights that are not functioning properly.

“Anytime you incorporate a new technology with existing infrastructure in a condensed timeframe, there is the potential for glitches,” says, Seabrook. “This is why until the Adaptive Control System is online we are asking if residents notice a street light that isn’t working properly to continue to advise PUC Customer Care. For example, customers are requested to report any street light that is; on during the day, off at night, or flickering.”

Customers can report malfunctioning street lights by either going to the PUC Website or by calling Customer Care at 705-759-6522.

PUC is also excited to unveil a new and innovative tool for residents to follow the progress of the LED project, The LED Streetlight Conversion Project Story Map.

Understanding that this significant infrastructure renewal project would draw considerable interest from the community, PUC partnered with the Sault Ste. Marie Innovation Center and developed this unique platform to display the information surrounding the project.

The Story Map offers visitors a dynamic view of the project’s conversion status allowing customers to zoom in and see the conversion status of each streetlight.

Visitors can also use the Story Map to see what areas of the city are currently under conversion, and what area is scheduled for conversion next month.

Customers can find out more information on the LED Streetlight Project, or report a malfunctioning streetlight by visiting the PUC Website at www.ssmpuc.com, or by calling PUC Customer Care at 705-759-6522.

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