SEA ISLE CITY – The South Jersey Economic Development District is expanding its renewable energy initiative to include pilot programs in Sea Isle City and Egg Harbor City featuring public street lamps that operate off the grid using solar and wind energy. The New Jersey Institute of Technology has partnered with the SJEDD to evaluate the effectiveness of the new hybrid powered street lamps.
“We believe that Sea Isle and Egg Harbor cities are the first municipalities in the New Jersey to install solar and wind powered public street lamps. Sea Isle was selected for the pilot program because it is currently undergoing wind speed studies to expand the use of wind energy in the municipality. Egg Harbor City is looking to towards sustainable development at its new transit hub and this was a perfect fit,” said Gordon K. Dahl, Executive Director, South Jersey Economic Development District. “We look forward to working with both municipalities and NJIT to see if it is feasible to expand the use of these street lamps throughout our region,” he added.
Several street lamps are scheduled for installation at strategic locations throughout Sea Isle City in order to help gauge wind speeds, explained Dahl.
“Sea Isle City looks forward to participating in this pilot program that not only furthers the city’s goals in increasing renewable energy use, but also has a positive effect on the environment by reducing our carbon footprint, while saving money on electricity costs,” said Leonard C. Desiderio, Mayor and Cape May County Freeholder Vice Director. “Warm sunny days and cool breezes are always welcome on the island, and if they can help lower energy bills and protect the environment, we are looking at a win-win-win situation.”
The street lamps are slated to be installed at Egg Harbor City’s new transit hub located on the White Horse Pike near Philadelphia Avenue.
“Placing several of these street lamps at Egg Harbor City’s new transit hub is a perfect opportunity to showcase the city’s comprehensive approach to smart growth planning and sustainable development,” said Mayor Joseph Kuehner, Jr.,
Installing the lamps in two very different settings, with mainland and seashore environments, NJIT will be able to evaluate effectiveness in various physical and climate conditions, explained Dahl.
The hybrid powered street lamps are designed by Lumi SolAir and can be powered by both solar and wind energies. Batteries are able to maintain a charge for up to three days in the event of cloudy and non-windy days. There is little maintenance on the new lamps that are built to resist extreme weather conditions, including winds up to 120 mph, according to Lumi SolAir. The company is based and manufactures its products at the Brooklyn Navy Yard in New York.
The poles are made of 100% recycled materials can be either made of steel or concrete. The poles in the pilot program will be made of steel. They are completely off the grid and have no electricity bill.
The solar array on each pole is adjusted for the most efficient capture of solar energy and the LED light fixture has a lifetime of more than 15 years. The wind turbine on each pole can operate under wind speeds ranging from 2.5 to 161 mph.
For more information on Lumi SolAir please visit: www.lumisolair.com.
The South Jersey Economic Development District is a federally funded regional agency established in 1979 to promote economic development in Atlantic, Cape May, Cumberland and Salem Counties, complementing and coordinating county and state development initiatives.
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Do you think it's appropriate for BLM to call for "Burning down the city" and "Black Vigilantes" because…
