As part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) Stimulus money from the Energy and Environmental Community Block Grant, Alderman O’Connor has received approval from the Department of Energy to replace 8000 old sodium vapor lights with new metal halide lights on light poles in select alleys throughout the 40th Ward. These new lamps will save money and provide a brighter light.
Each ward will receive 40 alleys of new white light fixtures. The alleys selected have been documented as having the most incidents of crime per block. The alleys receiving new lights are bordered by Devon to Pratt, Broadway to Ravenswood, Peterson to Granville and Damen to Western. This project is slated to begin sometime before the end of summer.
What Are Metal Halide Lamps
Metal halide lamps, a member of the high-intensity discharge (HID) family of lamps, produce high light output for their size, making them a compact, powerful, and efficient light source. By adding rare earth metal salts to the mercury vapor lamp, improved luminous efficacy and light color is obtained. Originally created in the late 1960s for industrial use, metal halide lamps are now available in numerous sizes and configurations for commercial and residential applications. Like most HID lamps, metal halide lamps operate under high pressure and temperatures and require special fixtures to operate safely. Since the lamp is small compared to a fluorescent or incandescent lamp of the same light level, relatively small reflective luminaires can be used to direct the light for different applications such as flood lighting outdoors or lighting for warehouses or industrial buildings.
