SF replacing streetlights with brighter, energy-efficient LEDs

The new lights are expected to improve visibility on the city’s streets, enhancing safety for motorists and pedestrians, while sharply curbing electricity usage and maintenance costs.

“Better light, lower maintenance costs and more energy efficient — the business case for our LED streetlight conversion project could not be clearer,” said PUC General Manager Harlan Kelly in announcing the initiative.

The remaining 40 percent are mainly owned and operated by PG&E. The city is also separately working on a plan to modernize the roughly 5,500 street lights, including ornamental and antique fixtures, that aren’t part of the LED replacement plan.

Beyond cost and energy savings, LED streetlights also significantly increase visibility, said Nancy Clanton, who operates a lighting engineering and design firm in Boulder, Colo.

In conjunction with the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute, Clanton conducted visibility tests comparing how well drivers could see at night using high-pressure sodium or LED lights.

Clanton also pointed out that the technical specifications of the lights the PUC will be installing are also in line with the types of fixtures recommended by the American Medical Association.

Last year, recognizing the widening adoption of LED streetlights across the country, the AMA released guidance advising communities to adopt fixtures that emit a minimal amount of harsh “blue-rich” light, which the organization said can disrupt people’s sleeping patterns.