By EDWARD HUSAR
Herald-Whig Staff Writer

The city of Quincy hopes to save money by converting some of its street lights to high-pressure sodium (HPS) fixtures.

HPS fixtures require less energy than traditional mercury vapor (MV) lights found on most Quincy streets. So the city is gradually converting its lights to the more energy-efficient system.

This effort received a boost earlier this year when AmerenCIPS agreed to replace 130 of Quincy's MV fixtures with HPS at no cost to the city. This was done through the company's "municipal street light conversion program" tied to the Illinois electric rate relief plan implemented last year.

AmerenCIPS is spending $2 million this year and next to convert 8,000 MV street lights to HPS as a way to help communities in its service area reduce their energy costs. Communities are being allotted new lights based on a formula that takes into account how many MV lights are currently used.

Ordinarily, AmerenCIPS charges $250 to convert a 400-watt MV street light to a 250-watt HPS fixture. Consequently, waiving this charge for 130 lights will save Quincy $32,500.

On top of that, each new fixture will save the city about $40 a year in energy costs -- a total annual savings of $5,200.

As an added benefit, the light output for HPS fixtures is about 23 percent brighter than MV fixtures. So communities will get better lighting at less cost, according to a letter from AmerenCIPS.

"This program is a win-win situation for both Ameren and the city of Quincy," said City Engineer Jeff Steinkamp.

Steinkamp said the city has been looking for ways to reduce its energy consumption. He said the city's annual energy bill for around 3,000 streets lights has been running approximately $400,000, so any savings would be welcome.

"We're trying to do everything we can to use the most efficient lighting to cut our bill down," he said.

The 130 new HPS lights were installed in the downtown's "core area," roughly between Fourth and Eighth, from Vermont to York. The new fixtures are apparent to passersby because they give off a warm, orange light compared to the cool, bluish light typical of MV fixtures.

The orange light "enhances visibility in a wide range of weather conditions," the Ameren letter says. Steinkamp agrees, saying motorists will be able to see better when driving in rain, fog and other dreary conditions.

In addition to the new HPS fixtures financed by Ameren, which were installed on existing overhead lamp posts, Quincy is taking steps to replace 40 traditional MV street lights on Maine Street with 80 new vintage-style HPS lamps. This is part of the $2 million Maine Street renovation project taking place between Fourth and 10th, with state and federal grants paying $1.6 million of the cost.

Steinkamp said the 80 new HPS lights will use approximately the same energy as the 40 MV lamps while producing far superior lighting along Maine Street.

"The downtown was kind of bleak looking. There wasn't the proper lighting we needed there," he said. "This new lighting is much, much better, but the power cost year to year will be very equivalent to what we had before."

Also as part of the Maine Street project, the city installed several HPS lights in the "cut-through" walkway extending south from Maine Street to the city-owned parking lot between Sixth and Seventh streets. Steinkamp said the city for years received complaints that the walkway was too dark at night.

"If you go through there right now, it's really bright," he said. "Lighting is security for people. When people see something lit up, they feel a lot more secure."

-- ehusar@whig.com/221-3378