Recently, the city of Albany got a glow up. The roads and paths got very dark at night and didn’t feel safe for residents. With cash incentives from Energy Trust, Albany Public Works was able to replace nearly 3,000 outdated streetlights to increase safety and save energy.

In Albany, the outdated streetlights weren’t providing enough light for city residents, causing safety concerns both on and off the roads. The city got to work on plans to upgrade lighting and estimated the total cost at over $520,000. With the help of cash incentives from Energy Trust of Oregon, the city was able to reduce expenses by over 1/3 and move forward in phases.

Albany Public Works converted about 2,670 high-pressure sodium and vapor mercury lights with energy-efficient LEDs. These LEDs provide brighter and more directed light thanks to their advanced technology. Once the project was completed, the city qualified for over $207,000 in cash incentives from Energy Trust.

In addition to the safety and visibility benefits, the lighting upgrade proved to greatly reduce energy consumption, a significant environmental benefit. The new lighting is expected to conserve around 1 million kilowatt hours each year, yielding nearly $26,000 in annual savings for the city.