New LED streetlights coming to Lombard, Bensenville

Some Lombard and Bensenville neighborhoods will look a little brighter at night, thanks to the installation of roughly 800 new LED streetlights.

The two communities are taking part in a test program to replace every ComEd-owned streetlight fixture with so-called smart lights, which officials say will consume less energy, improve safety and save money.

"When ComEd approached us to be part of this pilot program, we did look closely at the cost, the technology, to make sure it would benefit our residents and our businesses," Bensenville Village President Frank Soto said. "We saw that this program was certainly something we wanted to be involved with."

Lombard Director of Public Works Carl Goldsmith agreed, adding that the village was already involved in an LED replacement program before signing on with ComEd.

"We're always seeking efficient solutions to energy and lighting programs," he said. "We're very excited to be moving forward with this project."

ComEd officials said Tuesday that the new technology will give village officials the ability to "remotely and instantaneously dim lights for energy savings and brighten them for greater safety" through a Web portal.

First responders also will be able to control the lights on demand, to help them better manage emergency situations.

"Our police and firefighters are anxious to see the functionality in action," Soto said. "This is going to be a significant improvement."

The lights use ComEd's new Smart Grid to tap into a wireless network that allows two-way communication with grid operators. If a light is in need of maintenance, a notification will automatically be sent to the municipality, which will likely result in quicker fixes.

Officials say the lights consume about one-third the energy of the current fixtures. They are also estimated to last nearly twice as long.

A digital node on each light keeps precise track of each streetlight's energy use, which will eventually allow for ComEd to bill for the actual energy used by the streetlights instead of charging a calculated flat rate.

When the state's 30,000 ComEd streetlights are replaced, it is estimated that more than 16 million kilowatts per hour of energy will be saved, which is the equivalent of supplying energy to about 1,800 homes annually.

In addition, it is estimated that about 11,300 tons of carbon dioxide will be removed from the air, which officials say is equal to taking about 2,300 cars off the road.

ComEd plans to start offering smart streetlight installation in additional communities this summer, after results from the test program have been reviewed.

Fidel Marquez, ComEd's senior vice president of government relations, said the company hopes to use the Smart Grid to expand other technologies in the future, such as village water meters, gas meters, traffic signals and things "we still haven't even imagined."