On a chilly afternoon Jan. 30, a large group gathered on the National Mall to watch a resplendent sunset behind the Washington Monument. As darkness gathered, a coterie of dignitaries including Energy Secretary Steven Chu and Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar flipped the switch on a new way the monumental national park, which attracts over 24 million visitors a year, will be lit at night. Finally dark, visitors saw 173 Olmstead lamps, which date back to the Great Depression, shine with the power of new and more energy-efficient LED lights.
LEDs to Save Energy by 60% >
Thanks to a donation by Alliance Associate OSRAM SYLVANIA and installation services donated by Washington utility Pepco, the 21-feet-tall, bronze streetlight posts that surround the eastern half of the Mall were converted to hold brighter, more efficient LEDs.
This upgrade, which required new ballasts to support the technology, will cut the lights’ energy use by at least 60%, according to the Trust for the National Mall. The National Park Service estimates that the LEDs will last for over two decades, compared to only a few years for the older light bulbs.
Lights Make Mall Safer, Cheaper
The brighter lights, which illuminate walkways lined by elm trees, will not only save money and energy, but also will make the area safer for nighttime strollers, said Trust for the National Mall President Caroline Cunningham. She also pointed out that OSRAM SYLVANIA and the Trust have a history of partnerships: OSRAM SYLVANIA donated efficient lights for the Jefferson Memorial as well.
Chu noted the significance of the partnership, stating that “installing these energy efficient bulbs on the National Mall is an important demonstration of our commitment to partnering with the private sector to promote energy saving technologies.”
Echoing the State of the Union address, Salazar commented that energy efficiency is central to the president’s energy strategy. “As we deal with the energy future of the United States of America, under the president’s leadership, he wants us to be sure that we are endorsing a very broad energy portfolio, but at the same time we are doing everything we can to be as efficient as we can with the energy we’re using.”
At the end of the brief ceremony, Secretaries Chu and Salazar joined each other to flip a massive light switch. The Mall was suddenly brightly illuminated, right as the sun disappeared behind the Potomac River.
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