Contact:
Matt Phelps                                          Fay Lim
Communications Specialist II              Communications Supervisor
Matt.Phelps@snoco.org                      Fay.Lim@snoco.org
425-388-3126                                      425-388-6413

Snohomish County Public Works Saves More Than $20,000 on Street Light Power Consumption with LED  Replacements

State energy efficiency grant yields savings for taxpayers

EVERETT, Wash., March 1, 2018 – Most homeowners understand that replacing old light bulbs with energy efficient lights can reduce energy consumption and lower their power bill. Snohomish County Public Works saved $20,343 on the operating costs of more than 400 lights during 2017 after installing energy efficient light emitting diode (LED) lights.

“We won a grant in the Washington state Energy Efficiency and Solar Grant program to install the new LED lights,” Snohomish County Public Works Director Steve Thomsen said. “This is a great example of how grants enable us to save taxpayers’ money and conserve energy.”

The LED replacements were installed in street lights and traffic signals during the fall of 2016. In all, 408 lights were replaced.

The energy consumed was tracked during 2017 and compared to totals from 2016. Overall, the cost to operate the lights was reduced from $75,438 to $55,095 – a savings of 27 percent.

Power consumption was reduced from 746,826 kWh in 2016 to 510,453 kWh in 2017. The 236,373 kWh savings amounts to a 32 percent reduction in power consumed during just the first year.

The LED lights also have a longer lifespan, less maintenance and reduce carbon emissions.

The total amount of the original Washington state grant was worth $132,453, meaning that the grant will pay for itself within less than six years.

About Snohomish County Public Works

The Snohomish County Public Works Department constructs and maintains county roads; controls and manages surface water quantity, quality, and fish habitats; and oversees the recycling and disposal of solid waste. The department’s main office is located at 3000 Rockefeller Ave., Everett, WA 98201. For more information about Snohomish County Public Works, visit www.snohomishcountywa.gov/PublicWorks.