Penelec Converts Erie Streetlights to Smart LED Technology

Energy efficient lighting saves money and will help enhance public safety

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Feb 04, 2021, 14:28 ET

ERIE, Pa., Feb. 4, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Penelec, a subsidiary of FirstEnergy Corp. (NYSE: FE), is converting about 2,300 high-pressure sodium streetlights to smart LED streetlights in partnership with the City of Erie. The new energy-efficient streetlights will be installed in eight opportunity zones within the city, which include downtown and along the Bayfront, and will yield energy savings and provide the foundation for technology to enhance public safety.

Smart streetlights feature photocells equipped with a Wi-Fi card that allow the lights to "talk" to each other, passing real-time data to a control center through a wireless communications network. Typical photocells can only switch streetlights on or off by sensing darkness or daylight.

Smart streetlights can be monitored through Penelec's network to determine if a light is burned out, remains illuminated during daylight hours or is not operating at its proper voltage. Penelec relies currently on residents and employees to report problems with streetlights.

Network controls also will allow specific streetlights to be brightened outside bars and theaters to keep patrons safe late at night or dimmed for special events such as fireworks.

"LED lights typically offer savings and brighter streets that help promote public safety," said Nick Austin, Penelec regional president. "Smart streetlights in an interconnected network can do much more. Going forward, they can be upgraded with security cameras and sensors to detect gunshots, help motorists find parking spots and manage waste collection. We are proud to help Erie pioneer this technology."

The smart LED streetlight conversion initiative is a component of Erie's Smart City Project, which is intended to transform the city and drive economic growth by attracting companies to locate tech jobs that pay family-sustaining wages in the city's eight opportunity zones.

A Penelec contractor began converting streetlights in November and should be finished this summer. Crews can convert between 20 and 30 streetlights per day and have completed nearly 600 to date. The high-pressure sodium lamps are swapped out for smart LED fixtures at the top of existing light poles.

Penelec serves approximately 585,000 customers within 17,600 square miles of northern and central Pennsylvania. Follow Penelec on Twitter @Penelec and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/PenelecElectric.

FirstEnergy is dedicated to safety, reliability and operational excellence. Its 10 electric distribution companies form one of the nation's largest investor-owned electric systems, serving customers in Ohio, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, West Virginia, Maryland and New York. The company's transmission subsidiaries operate approximately 24,500 miles of transmission lines that connect the Midwest and Mid-Atlantic regions. Visit FirstEnergy online at www.firstenergycorp.com and follow FirstEnergy on Twitter @FirstEnergyCorp.

Editor's Note: Photos of contractors installing new LED smart streetlights are available for download on Flickr.

SOURCE FirstEnergy Corp.