By: JANE ROH • Courier-Post Staff • May 6, 2010

GLOUCESTER TWP. — Crews this week began replacing traffic lights in Gloucester Township with energy-saving LED bulbs.

"Every traffic light in Gloucester Township will have LED lights," said Mayor Dave Mayer. "They improve safety, they last longer, and when the lights go out they don't all go out at once."

LED traffic lights consist of many small bulbs, unlike traditional incandescent bulbs. LED lights consume 80 to 90 percent less energy, last years rather than months, and burn brighter and sharper than incandescent bulbs.

The township received $118,500 in grant funds from the U.S. Department of Energy to make the transition, scheduled for completion by Labor Day. Savings include reduced energy bills and lower costs associated with fewer trips to replace bulbs by public works employees.

A projection of monetary savings wasn't immediately available, but for a municipality of Gloucester Township's size it could be in the tens of thousands of dollars.

Cherry Hill installed LED lights in all 41 of its traffic signals and 10 traffic flashers in 2004, township Chief of Staff Dan Keashen said. He said the township's annual savings are more than $30,000.

Crews and police will be out on Cross Keys Road and Erial Road to begin swapping the lights, Mayer said.

Whether they've thought about it or not, all municipalities in the state and across the country will have to move toward LED bulbs due to federal energy regulations. LEDs are also considered superior to energy-efficient compact fluorescent bulbs, which contain mercury and cannot be disposed of in the traditional trash collection.

A possible safety drawback to the lights is they do not generate enough energy to melt snow.

The federal LED funding is part of a three-part $575,000 grant. The township expects by the end of May to request bids to outfit municipal hall with solar panels, currently in the design phase. Upon completion of an energy audit, the heating, ventilation and air conditioning in municipal hall will be replaced with a more energy-efficient system.