Lighting the LED Revolution

Mayor Kevin Foy:
"Joining Cree's LED City initiative is an important part of Chapel Hill's commitment to reducing its carbon footprint and becoming a fully sustainable community. By replacing low-pressure sodium streetlights with LEDs, Chapel Hill can reduce energy consumption for street lighting, which we hope will positively impact our budget as well as our carbon emissions."

Facts

• Chapel Hill has installed LED streetlights along the high-profile 100 block of Franklin Street, one of the town's most recognizable landmarks.
• Ten high-pressure sodium streetlights have been replaced to evaluate the extension of LED street lighting in Chapel Hill.
• LED street lighting can reduce energy consumption by 50 percent or more.
• The town is soliciting feedback from residents about the quality of the lighting during the course of the 12-month pilot program.
• Using LEDs for energy-efficient lighting is just one of the many steps Chapel Hill is taking in order to become a more environmentally-friendly community. The town has set an aggressive goal of reducing carbon emissions by 60 percent below 2005 levels, by 2050.
• To support this objective, Chapel Hill is acting on a comprehensive plan that includes policies to promote compact, mixed-use development; alternative transportation; greenway developments and environmental protection. Other sustainable practices establish that all new town-owned facilities be built using sustainable practices as set by the LEED Silver certification program.