The City of Birmingham, Ala., announced a new project designed to upgrade its current public parking garage lighting to energy-efficient, connected light-emitting diode (LED) lighting. The retrofits are expected to save about $375,000 per year.


The city plans to install about 4,500 LED luminaires in seven downtown parking garages.


The units are connected through a system that enables them to be wirelessly controlled to modify the sensitivity of the lights and accommodate the needs of the city and patrons. Using new motion-detector-sensor technology, the wireless controls can modify the light output and change the schedule.


According to Sherri Nielson, executive administrative assistant to the mayor, the city is about three-fourths of the way through replacing its parking garage lights with LEDs.


“In one of the garages, electrical rates have been cut from $7,475 to $2,350,” she said. “We actually have plans to eventually replace all of our lighting in the city. The mayor has strong belief in having a well-lighted city where people feel safe and to encourage economic development.”


The garage-lighting-retrofit project is the first of three improvement projects, all of which are part of Mayor William Bell’s “Brighter Birmingham Lighting Plan.” The plan is designed to strategically improve the city’s lighting infrastructure, increase public safety, enrich the local community and improve energy efficiency.


“By continuing to expand the benefits of LED lighting across our streets, highways, parks and neighborhoods, Birmingham is leading the way, not only to real energy and cost savings but improving the quality of life to our residents and local businesses,” Bell said.


The second phase involves converting all of the city’s street lights to LEDs. The third phase will involve replacing luminaires on the interstates that pass through Birmingham with LEDs.


Now, there is also talk of implementing energy-efficiency projects in the 118 city-owned buildings, part of which will involve conversion to LED lights.