Lighting upgrades to save cities $20K

Since the start of 2017, eight Heartland customers have received funding for upgrading lighting to more efficient LEDs. Collectively, they’ve been awarded over $31,000 for the upgrade of 322 street lights and 24 T12 fixtures. A ninth energy efficiency grant was awarded to help finance an automated meter project.

The cities of Aurora, Arlington, Volga, Plankinton, Groton and Tyndall, SD and Madelia Municipal Light and Power in Minnesota each earned energy efficiency grants for street lighting upgrades. Collective annual savings for their projects are projected at just over $20,000 and 225,000 kilowatt hours.

The city of Madison, SD earned an energy efficiency grant to replace inefficient lighting at the city’s depot building, which houses both the Chamber of Commerce and Economic Development Corporation–a project that could earn them an annual savings of about $1,000 or 9,600 kilowatt hours.

The average payback period for all the lighting projects is about 4.5 years.

Colman, SD also received a $5,000 grant for upgrades to their automatic meter system. The city is purchasing a portable radio-based device to acquire data from utility meters. The new system will allow for more accurate and timely meter readings.