Cities across the nation have been tapping federal stimulus funds to swap out old-style streetlights with more efficient LEDs. And the Virgin Islands is not missing out.
The Water and Power Authority has replaced about 90 lights in Cruz Bay with the new LED models. However about 450 of the island's other streetlights will not be replaced. Each new light costs about $750 and comes with a five year warranty.
The project, by the V.I. Energy Office and implemented by WAPA, will encompass the replacement of a total of almost 1,000 streetlights on all three islands by the end of this year. The street lights being replaced consume 200 watts and the new ones will use only 103 watts resulting in about a 50 percent reduction in energy use. The Energy Office was able to fund the project using funds from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.
- Read more about the project on the Web site of the Virgin Islands Energy Office.
- You can also see a five-minute video featuring WAPA executives explaining the benefits of the switch. You can see one of the new lights about four minutes into the video.