Local News

On Jan. 29, Fukuoka City announced it will switch all of its 35,000 mercury-vapor streetlights to LED over the next 15 years. The city will start by spending ¥60 million to install 246 new lights this fiscal year. It is the third municipality in the prefecture to make the switch. According to the city, switching to LED streetlights will reduce its annual electricity bill from ¥500 million to ¥160 million. The city initially considered leasing the new street lights, but it determined that installing them on its own was cheaper since that would make the city eligible for a subsidy from the national government. (The ¥60 million budget includes maintenance fees.) This February, the city plans to replace 105 lights along Taihaku-dori Ave. (Hakata-ku), 80 lights along Meiji-dori Ave. (Hakata-ku ~ Chuo-ku) and 61 lights along Watanabe-dori Ave. (Chuo-ku). A city official was quoted as saying, “LED streetlight bulbs last about 15 years, compared to three years for mercury-vapor lamps, and they are gradually getting cheaper. “Over the long run, the economic benefit will only get better.” Source: Nishinippon Shimbun