March 19, 2024
Annapolis, US 37 F

Annapolis City to convert all streetlights to brighter and energy saving LED lamps

The City of Annapolis is working with Baltimore Gas and Electric (BGE) to replace its nearly 3,000 streetlamps with LED lights as part of its City-wide energy conservation efforts. The light replacement work will be done by BGE contractors and will last for several months.

“Residents may notice that the streetlights in their neighborhood look a little different,” said David Jarrell, director of the Department of Public Works for the City of Annapolis. “The light is a little whiter and more down focused than the current lights.  Most people probably won’t notice a change, but the new lights will result in savings due to reduced energy consumption and maintenance/replacement.”

In addition, the new lights will come equipped with a transponder so that BGE will immediately know when a light is inoperable or power has been disrupted to the pole.

In the downtown area, new lamps will be manufactured to meet design specifications set forth in the historic preservation code.  The  lampheads with trapezoidal glass panes on Main Street will be matched to the current model, complete with the distinctive Annapolis tobacco leaves on top.

Roberta Laynor is the Chief of Historic Preservation for the City. She explained that the lights up and down Main Street were made from an old lamp discovered in the attic at Market House and dates to the late-18th or early 19th-century.  The historic artifact provides details rare to any American city of an authentic prototype for historic street lamps.

The rounded lamps on City Dock and West Street will be similarly manufactured and replaced during this time.

BGE representative Paul Suarez said that the new lighting can be made to be more directional, which can be a benefit to residents who have so-called “light pollution” coming into their homes from streetlamps. Residents may contact BGE should they want streetlights adjacent to their homes to be reoriented or shielded.

The work will start in May and to last until October.  The project schedule is dependent on weather and other factors.

Baltimore Gas and Electric can be reached at 800-685-0123. The City of Annapolis Department of Public Works can be reached at 410-263-7949.

While the lights do save energy and reduce maintenance costs, they are considerably brighter and according to the AMA, they do come with some health issues.

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