To: Ms Krasner Solve a social, political, or technical problem and propose your solution to an. individual or a group that has the power to act on your recommendations
Topic: Energy efficiency and urban planning
Audience: Director Tom Miller, Portland Bureau of Transportation Problem: In the long term, street lighting in the city of Portland is costing too much for residents and the city. The lack of efficient methods of street lighting is weighing down on the carbonfootprint relationship between Portland and the rest of the world. Portland needs to make a reasonable investment in LED technology regarding street lights. Thesis: A short-term investment in LED technology for Portlands street lights will lower the maintenance costs of street lights, impose a lower tax bill to home owners, and restore our national image as having a low-carbon footprint. How will l adapt my message to Tom Miller to make a persuasive case? As an electrical engineering student, it is important for Tom Miller to realize that I have been concentrating extensively on the analysis of electrical systems. With my knowledge base, I am confident he will take what I have to say regarding LED technology seriously. Advantages of the solution. Lower long-term energy costs and property tax bills Lower maintenance costs Lower environmental impact
Objections to the solution:
Initial cost will be too much for residents. They will not approve an initial tax hike for replacement. Refute: The long-term cost benefits will overshadow these initial costs. Disposal of old bulbs would be counterintuitive for those who believe the change will be environmentally sound. Refute: These bulbs could be transferred and used by regions in the world with little or no street lighting. How to implement the solution: Rules and contracts that currently are in place will have to be altered. This is the true roadblock for successful transition. Once measures have been passed for a tax-levi, the project will begin assessing the region for bulb replacement. Currently Portland General Electric maintains 80% of Portlands street lights. Depending on the kind of LED lights installed, the contract with PGE will change. Once new contracts are in place and LED bulbs (and perhaps fixtures) are bought, the project will progress until all street lights have been managed. Costs of the solution*:
Current cost of street lighting
$7.6 Million
Cost to replace street lights with LED lights**
$27.5 Million
Energy cost of original lighting vs. LED
Annual savings on energy costs: Years to recapture initial investment***:
$17.9 Million vs.
$10.1 Million $7.8 Million approx. 4 years
*based on 55,000 street lights in the city of Portland
**based on costs of $500 per LED bulb installation ***numbers do not account for maintenance savings which are considerably higher. I need to do more research on this in order to understand the impact.