Public Works Director Stephen Bise gave an update on street lights. 

Overview: The city owns approximately 7,000 street lights. SCE is required to provide power to those lights, and Fullerton is responsible for repairs, replacement, and maintenance. About half of the lights are on low voltage, which is called a multiple circuit. Most of the lamps have been converted to LED. The other half of the lights are on a high-voltage series circuit system. “We are unable to convert those lamps to LED. The system is antiquated, and neighborhoods are experiencing frequent outages,” said Bise. 

Lighting, circuits, and fixtures can no longer be reliably and cost-effectively operated and maintained. The Transformers are continuously failing and needing repair, which is taking longer and longer. The troubleshooting is also becoming more troublesome and difficult for SCE. There is damage to the wiring typically done by contractors, which also takes longer to repair. The one manufacturer of these antiquated Transformers no longer makes them; they don’t fix or make parts for them. SCE has to salvage from older existing ones in other areas. 

 “We have been evaluating some options to start addressing these circuits,” said Bise.

Option one is a conventional conversion that converts the series to a multiple circuit.

“We assigned a task to the Energy Citywide energy infrastructure project. They provided us with a design for a conventional series from multiple conversions to a design for the Richmond area circuit, which is approximately 100 lights. That cost estimate at the end of the design was roughly $1.5 million, going with this option for any of the circuits. We’re not outsourcing. We would maintain control. We’ve replaced the outdated circuits. We have to replace the wiring, the conduits, and the fixtures, and SCE will be responsible for replacing their transformers. The advantage of this is that we retain control of the city’s street lighting system, and maintenance and reliability are lower long-term monthly costs due to lower SCE LED energy efficiency rates. It utilizes energy-efficient technology with LED lamps, the most common approach in other cities,” Bise said. 

The disadvantage is that it has the highest upfront capital costs—to the city, approximately $15,000 to $20,000 per light. It has the longest return on investment of any of the options. Long-term labor remains a requirement for maintenance. 

Option two is SCE conversion.

Option two is to see conversion. Fullerton completed a partnership pilot project at the Lillie Area late last year. SCE converted approximately 43 lights. The pilot was determined fairly successful by both parties, the city and SCE. This does result in outsourcing. The advantages of this option are that there’s no capital cost to the city up front, no long-term labor required for maintenance, and it’s as you utilize energy-efficient technology for LED luminaires. 

The disadvantages are variable long-term costs, pending SCE rates, and fee increases. Fullerton becomes reliant on SCE performance yet retains all public accountability for performance. The light poles must be replaced with SCE LS1 street light poles, and overhead wiring is required, which may not be popular or well-received by the public in some areas. SCE secured additional funding to convert another circuit this year, but they got additional funding to convert up to 100 lights. So Fullerton is also excited to continue that partnership with SCE this year. 

Option three is a solar retrofit.

Option three is new. Fullerton has done some solar pilots at various locations. Fullerton has been coordinating quite a bit with the City of Los Angeles Bureau of St. Lighting. Because they’ve been looking at solar for a long time, they have determined that all-in-one units cannot produce enough output over the entire night. It just doesn’t have enough surface area, the solar panel, and doesn’t have enough battery storage to provide that output throughout the night. However, Fullerton has not received any complaints from the neighborhoods where these have been installed, mainly because they see it during the early hours of the evening, and it’s operating fine. From midnight on, it dims and does not provide sufficient output. This option would also be no outsourcing. 

The city of LA has a new option. It’s a retrofit on one of our existing street light poles. The city of LA did deploy a pilot in the Van Nuys area. 

The advantages are we get off the grid, maintain the desired lighting output throughout the night, and have sustainable technology. The units can be retrofitted on existing concrete poles, and there is a nominal short-term capital cost to retrofit the poles and install the solar units. It’s approximately 2600 or $3500 per light, and it’s long-term maintenance of about $700.00 per street light every 10 to 12 years to replace. 

The disadvantages are that it’s limited to areas with minimal tree canopy and is not applicable for circuits with an A10-foot-high historic pedestrian type of light. Long-term labor and limited long-term inventory remain maintenance requirements. 

The city is likely to obtain a Department of Energy block grant. Solar lighting isn’t an applicable expense, so we’ll receive about $180,000, which we can use to purchase solar units for this purpose. So, there’s a low-cost comparison here. 

“We plan to replace these series circuits with options two and three. This will include budgeting a nominal amount each year for capital improvement projects, which you will see as part of the budget process. The successful pilot with SCE for the Lillie Area circuit conversion has paved the pathway forward for similar conversions of that type, and the advancement of solar technology and available funding for sustainable infrastructure has also given us another path for conversions. The challenge moving forward will be obtaining funding for conventional conversions. We have several historic districts. We have several areas that have the lower level pedestrian lights. Neither option two nor three would be an applicable conversion for these systems. So, Fullerton would have to find funding for the conventional type at some point,” said Bise.

This item was received and filed.