LED STREETLIGHTS FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Light Emitting Diode (LED) conversion project

Southern California Edison (SCE) owns and maintains approximately 9,800 streetlights in the City of Oxnard (City) along residential and arterial streets. The Light Emitting Diode (LED) conversion project will convert all 9,800 streetlights to LED. City staff has worked closely with SCE staff since February 2021 and City Council approved this project July 2021. The conversion project started November 2021.

 

Frequently Asked Questions

What kind of streetlights are in the City of Oxnard?

Majority of City streetlights are High Pressure Sodium (HPS) and are owned and maintained by SCE. Though they are the most common streetlight technology in most cities in Southern California and across the U.S., HPS streetlights are not the most efficient. The light distribution is limited and much of the light generated is either lost or not directed to the desired location in the roadway. In addition, HPS streetlights cast an orange light which makes identifying color very difficult.

 

What makes LED streetlights the right choice?

LED technology is the greatest advancement in lighting in modern times. In the last 10 years, LED technology has advanced to interior lighting and streetlight applications. LED streetlights are energy efficient, have a much longer lifetime than other traditional lighting technologies, and produce better color and light quality than typical HPS streetlights. All this equates to reduced energy consumption and reduced operating costs while delivering better light quality.

 

Why a LED conversion?

The LED conversion project will reduce streetlight energy consumption, greenhouse gas emissions and operating costs. LED streetlights will save energy, require less maintenance, and operate for over 20 years before needing to be replaced. This is compared to the existing HPS lights which need service or replacement every 3-5 years.

 

Why is there a difference in the color of light?

HPS streetlights produce an orange-yellow color due to the nature of the elements in the lamp. This color output makes it very difficult to see the natural colors of objects that are being lit by the streetlight – such as cars or pedestrians. LED streetlights emit a much more natural light, similar to moonlight, and the objects being lit look closer to their normal colors. This allows for much better visual perception and increases safety.   

 

Is there waste generated by the project?

There is very minimal waste generated by the project. All existing HPS streetlights are disassembled and the associated materials are recycled and disposed of appropriately by SCE.

 

The new LED streetlight was just replaced and it is not working. Who do I contact? 

Residents should report non-working streetlights directly to Southern California Edison. You may report an outage online at:

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