Groton’s conversion to LED streetlights reaps big energy savings

An effort to reduce the town's greenhouse gas emissions by 20 percent by 2020 has received a boost from a decision to convert all of the town-owned streetlights to LED lights. According to a recently released report from the town's public works department, since switching to LED streetlights from high pressure sodium streetlights in February of last year, Groton has seen a 67 percent reduction in energy use and greenhouse gas emissions related to its streetlights.That is the equivalent of reducing its energy usage by 27,512 kilowatt hours a month on average and its CO2 emissions by 85.8 metric tons a year. It is equivalent to taking 18 passenger cars off the road, nine houses off the grid and planting 2,224 trees, the report states.