News

21 September 2009

 

Danville joins Cree LED City program

Danville has become the first city in Virginia to join the LED City initiative, an international community of government and industry parties initiated by LED maker Cree Inc of Durham, NC, USA in December 2006 to evaluate, deploy and promote LED lighting for municipal infrastructure. Danville joins existing program members Raleigh, NC, Ann Arbor, MI, Austin, TX, Anchorage, AK, Indian Wells, CA and Fairview, TX in the USA; Toronto and Welland in Canada; Tianjin in China; Gwangju in South Korea; and Torraca in Italy.

In response to the Go Green Virginia initiative sponsored by the Virginia Municipal League (VML), the city has installed Cree LED lights in the Danville Water Treatment Plant and the Adult Detention Center.

The Virginia Municipal League started the Go Green Virginia program to encourage local governments to reduce energy usage and promote sustainability. As part of the initiative, the Green Government Challenge is a friendly competition designed to promote the implementation of specific environmental policies and practical actions that reduce the carbon emissions generated by both the local government and the broader community. The two LED lighting installations, with their longevity and savings in maintenance and energy costs, should aid Danville’s green efforts. Additionally, the installations are supported by the American Public Power Association as part of a Demonstrating Energy Efficiency Developments (DEED) program grant.

“Danville, and the rest of the country, can no longer afford to rely on the less efficient technologies of the past,” says Mayor Sherman Saunders.

The city installed Cree LR24 luminaries in the filter room of the Water Treatment Plant, replacing fluorescent fixtures. The original fluorescent T12 lighting fixtures will be left in place for an unspecified period for side-by-side lighting quality comparisons. Due to the better quality of lighting, plant operators have reported improved productivity and increased task efficiency. LED lighting has also reduced potential labor costs by about $75 per hour for fluorescent bulb changes.

The installation in the Adult Detention Center, part of a room renovation, involved retrofitting a conference room with Cree LR6 and LR24 luminaries to replace incandescent bulbs. The LR6s are outfitted with a rotating lens that allows for direct and indirect lighting options, which is necessary for hosting video conferences, as the room is often used for distance learning as well as staff training.

The two interior LED lighting installations will not only serve as a green demonstration for the city, but will also serve as guidelines for the lighting design of Danville’s new SEnTeC energy research facility for the Institute for Advanced Learning & Research. The city is also exploring the possibility of an LED streetlight demonstration in the downtown area and is currently installing smart meters across its utility service area.

“These projects demonstrate the light quality and cost savings that can be realized with LED lighting and represent the city's commitment to becoming an energy-efficient and green government,” says Cree’s LED programs manager Deb Lovig.

See related items:

South Korea’s Gwangju joins Cree LED City program

Chapel Hill joins Cree LED City program

California’s Indian Wells joins LED City program

Search: Cree LED City LEDs

Visit: www.ledcity.org

Visit: www.danville-va.gov

Visit: www.cree.com