environmentally enlightened street lights

The light that shines down on Innovation Boulevard in Saskatoon is white, but the light fixtures are green - and we’re not talking about the colour of the poles.

The newly installed street lights have less impact on the environment by using less energy and by being dark sky compliant.

“The design of the fixture itself directs the light downward where it is needed – not up into the sky,” explains Gord Joorisity, Executive Director Project Management for Innovation Place. “Not only is this less wasteful, but it also minimizes light pollution.”

Excessive or unnecessary light directed into the night sky can cause problems for a variety of nocturnal birds and insects. Dark sky compliant fixtures reduce the impact on the urban ecology.

The new lights on Innovation Boulevard are also using less energy because the light is provided by LEDs (light emitting diodes), the first time Innovation Place has used them outside.

“We wanted the light fixtures on this boulevard to have more of a ceremonial look or an architectural presence as this is the main entrance into the park.  Because LED lights use significantly less energy than a traditional bulb, we were able to install a double headed light fixture that still uses less energy than the old single headed ones we had before.”

Along with being cheaper to run, the lifespan of LED lights is much longer than traditional bulbs so maintenance costs are also dramatically reduced.

These new dark sky compliant LED light fixtures will also be used on the new section of Innovation Boulevard that will extend from the central traffic circle to Perimeter Road near the Canadian Light Source synchrotron on the University of Saskatchewan campus. That project is expected to be completed by next summer.

- February 2012