In Summer 2007 the DDA voted to approve a $630,000 grant to retrofit 1,400 downtown globe lights to more energy-efficient LED. Each globe street light that is retrofit to LED will represent a $107/year cost savings to the City in energy and maintenance costs, plus the program provides dramatic evidence of the Ann Arbor DDA's clear commitment to new energy technology initiatives.

In the months since the announcement of this grant was announced, the Ann Arbor DDA and the City of Ann Arbor have garnered tremendous regional and national attention, and the program may encourage other communities around the country to make a similar switch to a greener technology.

The City of Ann Arbor paid $1.39 million—25 percent of their energy budget—on traffic signals and streetlights last year. The cost would have been higher had the City not begun replacing incandescent traffic signals and pedestrian crossing signals with LEDs back in 2000. The replacements made so far are saving the City $49,000 annually, but the bigger savings opportunities are in street lighting, which accounts for 92 percent of that $1.39 million annual cost. Ann Arbor is currently investigating LED street lighting in the hopes of cutting the street lighting bill in half.

LEDs (light-emitting diodes) have been around since the 1960s. You've probably seen them used as indicator lights in consumer products. Recently, however, they have become practical for general lighting purposes. Although they cost more upfront than the bulbs they replace, LED lights use half the energy (or less) and last longer than conventional bulbs, resulting in big savings and short payback periods. One specific advantage of LEDs is that they produce directional light. This provides more control over what is lit (i.e. the street) and what isn't (the night sky), reducing light pollution and wasted energy.

After successfully piloting LED globe lights on a full block downtown (see above), Ann Arbor is going ahead with full conversion of our over 1,000 downtown streetlights. $630,000 to fund the retrofit project is being provided by the Ann Arbor DDA.

The City of Ann Arbor is also testing several different varieties of what are called "cobrahead" fixtures on Glendale Dr (example to the left). To comment on the test installations, send an email to streetlights@a2gov.org.

DDA Achievements

• Alley Assessment & Repairs
• Bike Hoop Installations
• Fourth and William Parking Structure Addition
• LED Holiday Lights
• LED Street Lights
• Parking Study
• Parking Vacancy Signs
• Sculpture Plaza
• State Street Improvements
• Tree Replacement