Fredericksburg Lights Up Mayfield with LEDs

Press Release:

The City of Fredericksburg is excited to announce a new project to replace 95 old streetlights in the Mayfield neighborhood with new, energy-saving LED lights. This initiative reflects City Council’s commitment to being a climate-forward city, with a goal to have 100% renewable energy power municipal operations by 2035. The new LED lights will save money, help the environment, and make our neighborhoods safer.

This pilot project will replace the traditional high-pressure sodium and mercury vapor streetlights with energy-efficient LED streetlights. Work is expected to begin on Monday, December 2, 2024 and take approximately one week to complete all of the installations. Dominion Energy and their contractor, River City Construction, will be working along the city streets with minimal disruption to the neighborhood. Work on each light pole will take approximately 20-30 minutes. Residents need not take any action.

The Mayfield neighborhood was selected for this important energy-saving initiative for several reasons. This neighborhood has many streetlights within a city block layout, which is the ideal setting to evaluate the effectiveness and the impact of this new LED technology. Additionally, the Mayfield community has been actively requesting improvements for better street lighting for both visibility and neighborhood safety. This focused area is also an ideal setting for the City to gather data for future upgrades to streetlights across the city.

The LED conversion is expected to bring substantial energy savings, reducing the utility bill for Mayfield’s street lighting by an estimated 18% annually. Along with cost savings, this project will help reduce the city’s environmental impact by reducing approximately 30 metric tons of CO? emissions associated with power generated for the old streetlights each year. The new LED fixtures come with a guaranteed lifespan of 10 years, though they can last up to 20 years. This far exceeds the traditional streetlights which typically last only 2-5 years. These savings and environmental benefits are part of the City’s larger goal to be more sustainable.

To ensure optimal lighting quality, the City collaborated with Dominion Energy’s lighting specialists, who have developed a municipal LED lighting standard based on years of experience converting municipalities to LED technology. This standard includes carefully selected lighting patterns and color temperatures designed to provide efficient and comfortable illumination. The City currently contracts with Dominion Energy to maintain 1,553 streetlights within the city limits.

As older light fixtures failed, they were replaced with newer and more efficient LED street lights. Residents can expect a slightly cooler light from the new fixtures, similar to the LED fixtures already installed in the neighborhood on Howison Avenue, Tyler Street, Howard Avenue, Frazier Street, and South Street. This cooler, whiter light provides improved visibility, and safety, while maintaining an appealing aesthetic.

The City will monitor performance of these new lights and gather community feedback throughout the pilot project. Contingent on good performance results (and funding), similar upgrades are being planned citywide in 2025 and 2026.

Residents are encouraged to send questions and feedback about this initiative to the Department of Public Works at 540-372-1023 and online at FredericksburgVA.gov.

For more information on City Council’s 100% Renewable Energy Resolution, please visit FredericksburgVA.gov/green.