Best Practice Action 4.7
GreenStep City Best Practices: Buildings and Lighting
Efficient Outdoor Lighting and Signals No. 4
Improve the efficiency and quality of street lighting, traffic signals and outdoor public lighting.
Best Practice Action Detail
Best Practice Action 7
Replace city-owned parking lot/ramp lighting with Dark-Sky compliant, energy efficient, automatic dimming lighting technologies.
- See the U.S. Dept of Energy's Outdoor Lighting Decision Tree Tool to find parking structure lighting specifications which typically reduce energy use by 50% compared with conventional parking lot lighting.
- See the I-35W Park and Ride Lots and Structures case study from Minneapolis.
- Automatic lighting controls can be set to achieve reduction in light output (and thus energy use) of 30% in parking lots after midnight.
- Use the International Dark-Sky Association Outdoor Lighting Basics guide to promote reduced/smarter outdoor lighting. See the GreenStep Dark Skies best practices for more.
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Replace lighting in 50% of structures with Dark-Sky compliant, energy efficient lighting technologies. |
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Replace lighting in 75% of structures with Dark-Sky compliant, energy efficient, automatic dimming (down to 10-30%) lighting technologies (on a timer or on a sensor). |
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Replace 100% city-owned parking lot lighting with Dark-Sky compliant, energy efficient, automatic dimming lighting technologies. |
Who's doing it
Duluth -
Date action report first entered:
Date of last report update:
Year action initially completed: 2013
Implementation details:
2019 Update: Conversions were completed at all city owned ramps in 2018 as the city finished replacing all street lighting with LEDs.
IN PROGRESS – Two smaller ramps have been converted to Dark-Sky compliant lighting on upper lots. Planning is in progress to replace HID fixtures with dimming LED fixtures at two large ramps. Shields will be installed on selected fixtures to eliminate light pollution from reaching outside the parking ramp.
IN PROGRESS – Two smaller ramps have been converted to Dark-Sky compliant lighting on upper lots. Planning is in progress to replace HID fixtures with dimming LED fixtures at two large ramps. Shields will be installed on selected fixtures to eliminate light pollution from reaching outside the parking ramp.
Outcome measures/metrics/money saved:
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For more information contact:
Alex Jackson, Energy Coordinator (City staff) | ajackson@DuluthMN.gov | 218-730-4433
Partners:
Moorhead -
Date action report first entered:
Date of last report update:
Year action initially completed:
Implementation details:
The project to replace the City's parking ramp lights was completed in 2016. In 2015, the exterior stairwell lights were replaced with LEDs, and the interior lights were replaced with LEDs in 2015-16.
Outcome measures/metrics/money saved:
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For more information contact:
Dan Mahli (City staff) | dan.mahli@cityofmoorhead.com | 218-299-5314
Partners:
New Prague -
Date action report first entered:
Date of last report update:
Year action initially completed: 2015
Implementation details:
The parking lots at City facilities have all been upgraded to dark-sky compliant, LED lighting.
Outcome measures/metrics/money saved:
Descriptive File:
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For more information contact:
Joshua Tetzlaff (City Staff) | jtetzlaff@ci.new-prague.mn.us | 952.758.4401
Partners:
Nisswa -
Date action report first entered:
Date of last report update:
Year action initially completed:
Implementation details:
The city has switched all of its city owned outdoor light fixtures to dark-sky compliant energy efficient fixtures and bulbs. The city also requires all commercial properties and associations to have the same lighting standards if there will be lighting present. It is the city's priority to keep out light pollution to a minimum.
Outcome measures/metrics/money saved:
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For more information contact:
Brittney Cotner (City Staff) | zoningadmin@ci.nisswa.mn.us | 2189632402
Partners:
Saint Cloud -
Date action report first entered:
Date of last report update:
Year action initially completed: 2015
Implementation details:
Completed as part of the Street Light Improvement Project.
Outcome measures/metrics/money saved:
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For more information contact:
Liz Kramer (City staff) | elizabeth.kramer@ci.stcloud.mn.us | 320-255-7226
Partners:
Saint Peter -
Date action report first entered:
Date of last report update:
Year action initially completed: 2015
Implementation details:
All city-owned parking lot lights and lights outside the buildings are LEDs
Outcome measures/metrics/money saved:
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For more information contact:
Todd Prafke (City Staff) | barbaral@saintpetermn.gov | 507-934-0663
Partners:
Bloomington -
Date action report first entered:
Date of last report update:
Year action initially completed:
Implementation details:
Bloomington continues to replace HPS and mercury vapor lighting with LED in parking lots and along trails. When applicable, two level lighting controls, motion detectors and automatic dimming technology is incorporated into the new systems.
Outcome measures/metrics/money saved:
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For more information contact:
Steve Gurney (City staff) | sgurney@BloomingtonMN.gov | 952-563-4606
Partners:
Coon Rapids -
Date action report first entered:
Date of last report update:
Year action initially completed:
Implementation details:
Another portion of the City's project with McKinstry included parking lot lighting. Coon Rapids' Fire Station 1 received induction fixtures in their parking lot and decrease annual exterior lighting consumption by 57%. Metal halide fixtures were removed in the process. Part of the project included determining the best timing for lighting to save energy as well. The following year, as part of the expanded program, the same process was done at the City Hall parking lot lighting. City Hall lights also include motion sensors to increase efficiency.
Outcome measures/metrics/money saved:
Descriptive File: view file
Descriptive links:
For more information contact:
Colleen Sinclair (City staff) | csinclair@coonrapidsmn.gov | 763-767-6485
Partners:
Lexington -
Date action report first entered:
Date of last report update:
Year action initially completed: 2020
Implementation details:
City Hall, Municipal Liquor Store, Fire Department and Public Works have all had their parking lot lights upgraded to LED.
Outcome measures/metrics/money saved:
Descriptive File:
Descriptive links: BP 4 Action 7
For more information contact:
Brenda Beaudet (City Staff) | brenda.beaudet@cityoflexingtonmn.org | 763-784-2792
Partners:
Mounds View -
Date action report first entered:
Date of last report update:
Year action initially completed: 2016/2017
Implementation details:
City does not own any street lights, Excel Energy does and has converted all to LED. City has upgraded/installed LED lights on all trail lights in the city
Outcome measures/metrics/money saved:
Reduce energy costs
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For more information contact:
Nyle Zikmund (City Staff) | nyle.zikmund@moundsviewmn.org | 612-860-7442
Partners:
North Saint Paul -
Date action report first entered:
Date of last report update:
Year action initially completed:
Implementation details:
Approximately 75% of City-owned parking lot lighting has been replaced with Dark-Sky compliant, energy efficient lighting technologies. When lights burn out they are replaced with Dark-Sky compliant, energy efficient lighting.
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For more information contact:
Lisa Ritchie (City Staff) | lisa.ritchie@northstpaul.org | 651-747-2440
Partners:
Austin -
Date action report first entered:
Date of last report update:
Year action initially completed:
Implementation details:
When fixtures are replaced they are replaced with Dark Sky compliant fixtures (this is in progress)
Outcome measures/metrics/money saved:
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For more information contact:
Janet Anderson (Community volunteer) | janetanderson2840@gmail.com | 5072190680
Partners: Engineering Department
Delano -
Date action report first entered:
Date of last report update:
Year action initially completed:
Implementation details:
In the spring of 2016, Delano Municipal Utilities replaced the parking lot lighting outside City Hall with LED, dark-sky compliant fixtures. The fixtures were installed as a demo for future streetlight replacement projects throughout the City.
Outcome measures/metrics/money saved:
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For more information contact:
Phil Kern (City staff) | pkern@delano.mn.us | 763-972-0565
Partners: Delano Municipal Utilities
New Brighton -
Date action report first entered:
Date of last report update:
Year action initially completed:
Implementation details:
The City of New Brighton replaced the City Hall parking lot lights with LED retrofits with only down cast lighting. We have also placed these lights on a timer that we manually change with the season to limit use to dawn/dusk.
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For more information contact:
Craig Schlichting (City staff) | craig.schlichting@newbrightonmn.gov | 651-638-2056
Partners:
New Hope -
Date action report first entered:
Date of last report update:
Year action initially completed:
Implementation details:
According to the city's Public Works Director, replacement of lighting at the City Hall and Public Works parking lots is Dark-Sky compliant. Dark-Sky lighting is not required, but generally used on all lights other than streetlights. In In 2015, the city replaced all wallpack lights at West Metro Fire Station #3 with energy-efficient LED fixtures.
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For more information contact:
Jeff Alger (City Staff) | jalger@newhopemn.gov | 763-531-5119
Partners:
Red Wing -
Date action report first entered:
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Implementation details:
As lightbulbs burn out, we have been updating them. All lights will be converted in the near future - standard operating procecdure.
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For more information contact:
Paul Drotos (City staff) | paul.drotos@ci.red-wing.mn.us | 651-410-6744
Partners:
Richfield -
Date action report first entered:
Date of last report update:
Year action initially completed:
Implementation details:
The City replaced the lighting for the Ice Arena parking lot with LED bulbs in 2014.
Outcome measures/metrics/money saved:
In addition to saving energy and cutting costs, LED lighting has provided better security, cutting the number of break-ins in half.
Descriptive File:
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For more information contact:
Kris Weiby (City staff) | dweiby@richfieldmn.gov | 6128619354
Partners:
Greenstep Advisor
Susan Zarling, State Signal and Lighting Engineer, MN Dept. of Transportation: 651/234-7052, susan.zarling@state.mn.us