Q. I think the new LED streetlights don't seem to illuminate the streets a well as the previous bulbs. I understand LED bulbs are more efficient, but I think it was a mistake to replace the old bulbs. Can the city shed some light on this subject?
A. On city-installed streetlights, the city has been replacing 250-watt HPS lights with 168-watt LED lights, said Rick Hanson, city electrical manager.
An HPS streetlight emits more lumens - a measurement of how much light you are getting from a bulb. More lumens means it's a brighter light.
Though not as bright, the LED lights distribute light more evenly on the ground, which eliminates the hot spot under the yellow HPS lights and the dark gap between poles. With HPS lights, the lamp also degrades over time, giving off less light.
The light quality in LED lights also is much better with the increase in color rendering, which makes it easier to see colors or vehicles, people's faces and pedestrians, Hanson said.
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LED lights also are more energy-efficient, saving the city money.
Some streetlights in Grand Forks are maintained by the city, while others are operated by Xcel Energy.
Xcel Energy began switched to LED streetlights in March.
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