Lighting the Path Toward Community Savings
Capitol Park IV decided to retrofit all 218 neighborhood street lamps with highly efficient LEDs.
I think this is a great deal for Capitol Park IV Condominium, the DCSEU, and the city in general. The LEDs are looking great and we are very pleased with the result.
The oldest and largest residential development in Southwest DC had a bright idea—to retrofit all 218 neighborhood street lamps with highly efficient LEDs. Capitol Park IV Condominium (CPIV)’s existing lighting provided poor-quality and inconsistent light that did not suit the neighborhood’s cozy atmosphere. The CPIV Association sought to adopt the latest advanced technology to reduce energy and maintenance costs, and to set a positive example for citywide street lamp efficiency retrofits.
CPIV had previously tried LED lamps and discovered that the lamps had no warranties, they did not fit into existing fixtures, and they did not evenly distribute light. Intent on completing the upgrade with the best technology, the CPIV Board of Directors turned to the DCSEU for expert advice.
The DCSEU not only identified the correct LED option for CPIV’s streetlamps, but also brought down the cost of each lamp by over $30. The Board unanimously agreed to complete the project according to the DCSEU’s recommendations, and the upgrade was completed in just six days.
Over the next decade, CPIV’s LED streetlamp retrofit will save the neighborhood close to $123,000 in electrical and maintenance costs. Overall electricity consumption for the neighborhood will be reduced by nearly 98,000 kWh annually—equivalent to the electricity required to power 10 homes for one year. The CPIV neighborhood now serves as a luminous model for community-wide energy-saving solutions.
