Ohio Municipality Reduces Street Lighting Costs by 72% with Smart LED Street Lights

A mid-sized Ohio municipality with 5,000 street lights reduced its annual lighting energy and maintenance costs by 72%, saving taxpayers over $480,000 per year, by converting its aging infrastructure to NGTlight Smart LED Street Lights. The project, which had a payback period of 4.5 years, involved replacing high-pressure sodium (HPS) fixtures with DALI-2 enabled LED luminaires. This not only generated immediate savings but also established a foundational network for future smart city applications, demonstrating a commitment to both fiscal responsibility and technological innovation.

The city's primary challenge was the immense and growing cost of its public lighting system. The 5,000 HPS fixtures were a major line item in the public works budget, consuming over 4 million kWh of electricity annually and requiring a dedicated crew for constant maintenance. The conclusion of a city-commissioned audit was that the system was inefficient, unreliable, and a barrier to the city's sustainability goals. The key objectives were to cut costs by at least 60%, improve lighting quality in residential and commercial zones, and select a solution that would be future-proof.

The city chose NGTlight for a phased, three-year rollout, citing the company's DLC-certified product quality and expertise in smart lighting controls. The conclusion was that a smart-ready approach was the most prudent path. The implementation involved: 1) Replacing 5,000 HPS fixtures (ranging from 150W to 250W) with NGTlight LED Street Lights (ranging from 60W to 120W). 2) Equipping each new fixture with a DALI-2 certified driver and a 7-pin NEMA receptacle. 3) In the first phase, using simple shorting caps in the receptacles for dusk-to-dawn operation. 4) In the second phase, adding a wireless control node to each fixture to create a city-wide mesh network for remote monitoring and control. This phased approach allowed the city to realize immediate energy savings while spreading the cost of the control system over several budget cycles.

The project has been a definitive success. The core conclusion is that the investment in smart LED street lighting has paid significant dividends. The 72% reduction in energy and maintenance costs has freed up substantial funds for other public services like road repair and parks. The quality of light has also dramatically improved, with residents reporting a greater sense of safety. The city is now leveraging the DALI-2 network to pilot other smart city initiatives.

The key lesson for other municipalities is the value of planning for the future. The conclusion is that installing a "dumb" LED light today is a missed opportunity. By specifying smart-ready fixtures with DALI-2 drivers and 7-pin receptacles, the city ensured its investment would not become obsolete. The Public Works Director is now leading a task force to explore adding other sensors to the network for applications like traffic monitoring and environmental sensing. The success of the project has positioned the city as a regional leader in smart governance and sustainability.