The National Mall’s new LED streetlights will not only save energy and money, but will also make the park safer for nighttime visitors. Photo: Alliance to Save Energy
At a press conference on the National Mall on Jan. 30, Energy Secretary Steven Chu and Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar flipped a ceremonial light switch to reveal the park’s energy upgrades: LED light bulbs installed in the 173 streetlight posts that line the National Mall’s walkways, the Alliance to Save Energy reports.
The super-efficient, brighter bulbs will reduce the streetlights’ energy use by at least 60 percent, according to the Trust for the National Mall, as well as make the park, which attracts 24 million visitors a year, safer for nighttime sightseers.
The National Park Service estimates that the LEDs will last for more than two decades, compared to the old bulbs which needed replacement every few years.
Lighting manufacturer Osram Sylvania donated the LEDs to the Trust for the National Mall, while local utility Pepco contributed the installation services, which started in November.
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