Smithtown replaces street lamps

While some Long Islanders light menorahs and others prepare to light Christmas trees, the Town of Smithtown is engaged in the biggest lighting project of the season, replacing old fashioned street light fixtures with new technology.

Smithtown is funding its roadway revolution with the help of a $1 million federal Energy Efficiency and Conservation grant to replace its 150-watt, 250-watt and 400-watt sodium fixtures on the town's main arterial streets.John Taylor, a manager at Eldon Square, said: "There's a fabulous array of amazing lights throughout the centre, as well as a spectacular snow mountain attraction." Meanwhile, Durham's Christmas lights were switched on by two members of Emmerdale's Dingle clan.SPECIAL GUESTS Pam Royle and Ian Payne with the cast of Jack and the Beanstalk switching on the Christmas lights"Eventually, I think LED will surpass the incumbent sources of lighting for street lights," Orth said. "The technology continues to improve. You've got an opportunity to reduce your energy costs by 40 to 60 percent."The New York State Department of Transportation, meanwhile, set up six on the Long Island Expressway and New York City is testing six on FDR Drive.Pam and Ian then led a Christmas carol sing-along accompanied by the Newcastle City Temple Band of the Salvation Army."Street lights out there contain mercury, a hazardous material that has to be disposed of," Orth said of another plus for the new technology."We see it as the biggest revolution in the lighting industry since the light bulb," said Kevin Orth, vice president of sales for Sturtevant, Wisc.-based Beta LED, which manufactured the fixtures being used by Smithtown. "It's not an evolution. This is truly a revolution in lighting."High-pressure sodium, which produces illumination by igniting sodium gas, has been the primary source for roadway lighting since the 1960s. While they're more expensive than traditional fixtures, LED lights are being touted as cheaper in the long run due to longer lives and energy efficiency.He said most high pressure sodium light bulbs used for street lighting are rated at 20,000 to 24,000 hours of life, while longer lasting LEDs typically last 100,000 hours.Village bad boy Cain Dingle and hapless chef Marlon Dingle - played by actors Jeff Hordley and Mark Charnock - hosted the entertainment.While Smithtown goes ahead with its lighting switch, other municipalities on Long Island are moving ahead more slowly.LED light fixtures over the past few years have started to catch on as the technology reaches the point where the lights are bright enough and cheap enough to attract interest, replacing orange, high pressure sodium fixtures.Orth said Los Angeles is replacing 140,000 traditional street light fixtures with LED fixtures, which save energy and are environmentally friendly. Seattle and Mesa, Ariz., are replacing thousands. Anchorage, Alaska also is replacing old-fashioned street lights.The pair were joined by cast members from the pantomime Jack and the Beanstalk, which is being staged at the city's Journal Tyne Theatre.

"Eventually, I think LED will surpass the incumbent sources of lighting for street lights," Orth said. "The technology continues to improve. You've got an opportunity to reduce your energy costs by 40 to 60 percent."

Author: Claude Solnik