The Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT), in partnership with Trane, will replace more than 9,600 highway lights with light-emitting diode (LED) versions beginning in the spring.
The change is expected to improve roadway visibility and reduce highway lights’ energy consumption by more than 50 percent. The LED bulbs will reduce greenhouse gas emissions by an estimated 8,800 tons and will consume 11 million fewer kilowatt-hours per year.
Lights will be replaced on limited-access highways and associated interchanges and at rest areas, VDOT-owned park-and-ride lots, and some weigh stations.
“VDOT’s collaboration with industry, health policy experts, and other stakeholders has ensured that we are delivering the highest standard of lighting that also has a minimal impact on our environment,” Shannon Valentine, Virginia Secretary of Transportation, said. “Virginia’s forward-thinking approach has made the commonwealth a national model for safe and effective highway lighting.”
The LED lights have a projected lifetime of at least 15 years compared to five years for a traditional bulb.
In addition to the environmental benefits, the LED bulbs are forecasted to save the state $4.6 million by 2036 in energy bills and a reduction in maintenance costs for future light replacement.
The project is funded through the Virginia Energy Management Program’s energy performance contract option.