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A Michigan township outside of Detroit on Sept. 17 erected a wind- and solar-powered streetlight, making it possibly the first community in the country to boast a hybrid public light.
The streetlight was manufactured and donated to the township by Ramsond Corp., based in West Bloomfield, according to the township. Ramsond’s Da Vinci streetlight is comprised of a 500 Watt wind turbine, crystalline solar panels and high density LED lighting.
As the streetlight provides 60-70 percent savings, the township expects to save $135 per light over the first year. The township will spend the next year evaluating the streetlight and determine if this type of technology should be employed at other locations throughout the Township.
The streetlight is worth $12,000-$14,000, according to Ramsond. The operation of the hybrid streetlight costs the township nothing, whereas the township currently pays over $6,000 per month to power its traditional streetlights, the Detroit Free Press reported.
The streetlight is part of options the township is weighing to best utilize a $571,000 federal grant for energy efficiency; the overall plan will likely include buying more Da Vinci streetlights, the newspaper said.
A local man, the paper said, suggested a program where businesses could sponsor these streetlights at school bus stops as a way to raise money to pay for the lights.
