Shared Services BC is now offering an innovative new procurement program to support the purchase of energy efficient LED street lighting in B.C. communities. Beginning today, B.C. is the first province in Canada to offer municipalities and broader public sector organizations the opportunity to select from a short list of pre-qualified LED street light products.

By switching all 360,000 street lights in the province to LED, the public sector could save about 105 GWh of electricity per year - enough to power about 10,000 homes, or a city like New Westminster for one year.

The voluntary program includes Corporate Supply Arrangements with multiple suppliers that offer a range of functional, technical and price variations to meet individual requirements. The program will create opportunities for British Columbia companies to provide consultation, distribution and installation services.

Communities, big and small, will be able to access a suite of resources including lighting consultants and pre-qualified suppliers to simplify a potentially complex purchase of this new technology.

Benefits include:

• Co-ordination with BC Hydro’s Power Smart Program that offers incentive funding to assist with conversion costs.
• Guidance, advice and support for purchasing LED street lights.
• An online financial tool that will calculate a pay-back period and generate a report for both a business case and a preliminary Power Smart application.
• Access to pre-qualified lighting consultants. Eligible public sector organizations will have the opportunity to select a professional lighting designer to assist with the procurement and implementation.
• A choice of LED street lights vetted by lighting specialists and municipal engineers.

LED street lights have many benefits over traditional lights including significant energy savings, lower maintenance costs and a substantially longer lifespan. Installing LED street lights can save enough money to recover the initial cost within eight years. Adopting LED technology can also help reduce light pollution and provide better visibility for pedestrians and motorists, making B.C.’s roadways safer for citizens.

This innovative procurement service is the result of collaboration between Shared Services BC, the Ministry of Environment’s Climate Action Secretariat and BC Hydro’s Power Smart Program. The Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure, LightSavers Canada at the Canadian Urban Institute and the cities of Burnaby, Port Moody, Surrey and Vancouver also provided expertise.

Quotes:

Andrew Wilkinson, Minister of Technology, Innovation and Citizens’ Services -

“This program is a great example of how innovative thinking and working together can not only help us meet the increasing demand for energy efficiency and electricity savings, but also create new opportunities for British Columbia companies involved in the distribution and installation of this new technology.”

Mary Polak, Minister of Environment -

“B.C.’s climate leadership includes partnering with our communities. With local governments owning the majority of street lights, the new LED street light procurement program will help them reduce their GHG emissions and carbon costs.”

Joanna Sofield, general manager of Customer Care and Power Smart, BC Hydro -

“Keeping our streets lit requires a lot of electricity. Street lighting represents the highest electrical cost for most cities and towns in B.C. That’s why we are pleased to partner with local governments and the Province to help municipalities adopt more energy efficient street lighting. Through our Power Smart Program, we offer our business customers, including municipalities and other government agencies, financial incentives for replacing inefficient technology with energy efficient equivalents.”

Phil Jessup, director of the Canadian Urban Institute’s LightSavers Canada program -

“LED streetlights offer many benefits over traditional streetlights. In addition to up to 70% energy savings, LED lamps will also reduce light pollution and improve visibility for pedestrians and motorists, thus making BC’s streets safer.”

Neal Carley, City of Port Moody -

“I am pleased to see the Government of B.C. taking a leadership role with BC Hydro, LightSavers Canada, and local governments in such an innovation green program. The City of Port Moody has plans in its budget this year and the next four years to update our streets with new energy efficient LED street lighting helping brighten up streets making them safer for residents.”

Quick Facts:

• The current technology used in nearly all of B.C.’s street lights is called high intensity discharge, or HID lighting.
• Local governments own the majority of B.C.’s street lights, at 241,000, and the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure owns 23,000.
• LEDs last more than 15 years (or three to four times longer) than current technologies.
• Installing LED street lights saves enough energy that the initial purchase costs can be recovered within eight years.
• Energy savings can be as high as 70% with use of programmable controls.
• Switching all of B.C.’s street lights also represents greenhouse gas emissions reductions of about 1,400 tonnes of CO2 equivalent, or $35,000 per year in carbon costs.

Learn More:

About Shared Services BC’s new LED Street Lights Across B.C. program: www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/topic.page?id=1D50F1AB00E441A3989E05049E829D25

Information about LED lighting and technology from BC Hydro: www.bchydro.com/powersmart/residential/guides_tips/green-your-home/lighting_guide/LED_lighting.html

Media Contacts:

Melody Wey
Ministry of Technology, Innovation and Citizens’ Services
250 508-5030