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    Welland seeks proposals for LED street light conversion

    June 11, 2009
    The City of Welland has issued a Request for Proposal for a street lighting conversion that will require 6000 LED fixtures. Closing date is July 6, reports Brian Owen.
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    The City of Welland, Ontario, has issued a Request for Proposal (RFP) for the conversion of all its street lighting to LEDs. The RFP specifically calls for the removal and disposal of existing HPS units and the installation of LED lighting.

    The RFP and tender calls for the replacement of 5903 street lights and an on-hand inventory of 97, making this a 6000-unit project over 3 years.

    The closing date is Monday July 6. Further details can be found on the City of Welland website.

    Beyond the actual scope of the project, what is most impressive is the due diligence protocol set out by David Ferguson, Manager, Traffic & Parking Operations for the City of Welland. Ferguson has employed the right questions to ask, as outlined in a recent article, as well as determining manufacturer affiliations in the “ENERGY STAR for SSL” and “Lighting Facts” programs, and finding out whether the proposed product has been CALiPER-tested.

    In calling specifically for LED lighting, this is most definitely a first in the preparation of municipal, provincial or state RFPs or tenders.

    Collectively, it is hoped that initiatives and leadership such as this will broaden the usage of the procurement protocol for municipalities and the private sector. It should also help to drive away inferior product and reduce the possibility of disappointment and even disaster, consistent as I was recently quoted in the New York Times.

    This concern has been amplified in light of US ARRA "stimulus" funding for municipalities and states, where there is propensity to move too fast, rashly without the necessary due diligence – see comments in the article "San Jose stimulated to convert streetlights to LEDs."

    Further details on the many and varied LED-related activities in Welland are described in our recent article "Welland shows great LEaDership in new initiatives (May 2009)."