The City of Wilmington is getting a new citywide smart lighting system. The roll out begins this month with the installation of 215 LED street lights and 50 smart sensors in West Center City, North Market Street, and Baynard Boulevard.
Mayor Mike Purzycki and Delmarva Power Region President Gary Stockbridge on Tuesday, July 9 together announced the joint project entitled ConnectWilmington
“Wilmington is becoming a smarter City and we are preparing ourselves for what promises to be an exciting and challenging future dominated by ever-expanding technology and the collection and use of data,” said Purzycki. “LED lighting will give the entire City a new look and feel and it will add to our improving public safety efforts, but I believe it can also make us a more cost-efficient and fiscally responsible City that serves citizens better and makes the City better overall.”
Purzycki’s ultimate goal is to convert all 7,050 street lights in Wilmington-1,750 owned by the City and 5,300 by Delmarva Power-to LED lighting.
City Council is considering legislation that would enable the City to borrow $2.1 million from the Efficient Energy Investment Fund (EEIF) administered by the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control (DNREC) to install LED lights on all of the City-owned light poles.
It is estimated that the City will more than cover the cost of the 20-year loan through expected annual energy savings of at least $150,000. The City would also receive a $175,000 grant from DNREC to assist with the LED project.
ConnectWilmington-which represents phase one of the citywide LED lighting plan-is beginning this month as Delmarva Power converts 215 existing street lights to LED and activates 50 smart sensors and various smart city technologies. Delmarva Power is funding the smart sensors and smart city technologies, as well as their installation, to test their functionality, operations, and potential value for Wilmington and other communities the company serves.
“Smart city technology presents a tremendous opportunity for us to collaborate with municipal partners to create new energy choices and power a cleaner and brighter future for our customers and communities,” said Stockbridge. “This demonstration project is a launching pad for new smart city initiatives across the region and we are excited to work with the City to better understand how we can use our advanced infrastructure to deploy new technologies to improve quality of life in the communities we serve.”
