Pepco is testing a pilot program that could reduce its customer base's carbon footprint -- as well as your electric bill.
Starting with National Harbor, Pepco will outfit four Maryland locations with light-emitting diode (LED) streetlights for a six-month pilot program. Pepco seeks to test the lights for efficiency and customer satisfaction before moving forward with a broader program to adopt ecologically sound lighting.
"We're always looking for ways to help our customers save money on their electric bill," said Charles Dickerson, Pepco's vice president for customer care, in a promotional video for the LED streetlight program. "Manufacturers say that these lights consume less energy than the lights currently used in this application. So we want to test a few things. Will these lights actually save energy, and our customers save money? And will they also still provide the same quality of lighting?"
"Additionally we have an interest as a company in determining how reliable these lights are. We want to determine how long they're going to last," Dickerson said.
In addition to lower electric bills and more carbon-efficient lighting, Pepco claims that LED streetlights have other benefits. One quality is "directional luminosity," which Dickerson explains as "a fancy way of saying the light is focused." Directional luminosity reduces light pollution.
The Pepco pilot will gather data and public input for six months. Pepco has now installed 12 LED streetlights at National Harbor, featuring 12 lights of the same type, with six each made by different manufacturers. Customers can help them decide on LED streetlights by e-mailing at led@pepco.com.
