KMXT 100.1 FM Public Radio in Kodiak, Alaska
You may not be noticing it as much lately now that there are more hours of daylight in the day, but slowly and surely there are more and more energy-efficient street lights appearing around Kodiak. KEA President Darron Scott says the new LED – or light-emitting diode – lamps are four times more efficient as the old sodium vapor lamps
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— (LED 1 25 sec "KEA has been working on a long-term … as we get more of these put in.")
A few of the LED street lamps were put up in The Mall downtown a couple of years ago as a pilot project, and this winter the new lights marched steadily up Mill Bay Road.
— (LED 2 12 sec "We’re just working in different … a multi-year type project.")
The LEDs are significantly more expensive than the high-pressure sodium vapor lamps currently in use, but Scott says they are worth it in the long run:
— (LED 3 12 sec "It makes up for that from the large … cost effective approach for us.")
Though KEA handles installation and maintenance of the street lights in town, Scott said that their actual ownership varies:
— (LED 4 21 sec "It really depends on which light … odd combination all the way through.")
In addition to higher efficiency and lower maintenance, the light emitted from the LED lamps is a more pleasing pure white color, and they contributes less to light pollution because their beams are more directional.
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