Fountain City Hall

Located only ten miles from Colorado Springs, the City of Fountain, Colorado, is bordered by the majestic Rocky Mountains and enjoys close proximity to some of the country's most popular attractions, including Pike's Peak and Garden of the Gods. Within this community of nearly 20,000, Fountain City Hall is a focal point and serves as the site for many city and community meetings and a wealth of city services.

Because of the brick structure's location and its public presence, officials decided to retrofit the 100-watt high pressure sodium lighting system installed in City Hall's front courtyard, which encompasses about a quarter of a city block. The City applied for a matching grant from the Colorado Governor's Energy Office (GEO), which stipulated the project had to impact public perception and include high efficiency lighting.

The grant application the City of Fountain submitted to GEO was based on an LED (light-emitting diode) system, with goals to improve City Hall's nighttime appearance, reduce energy consumption and comply with dark skies guidelines. The previous HPS system was not dark sky compliant.

To determine system suitability, the City installed test fixtures at a local park and based on the results selected Holophane Utility Post Top LED Series (PUL) luminaires for installation along City Hall's tree and lawn-lined sidewalks and streets.

Detroit LED Renovation Utility Post Top LED light fixtures are similar to fixtures used to illuminate urban streets and parks during the early twentieth century. The units offer LED technology for long term performance without maintenance.

Mounted on existing randomly spaced poles, the City installed fixtures at 12' heights along the roadway and sidewalks, increasing light levels and providing the area more uniform illumination. The LED fixtures, which are dark sky compliant, are controlled by a single photo control and lit from dusk until dawn.

"The Utility Post Top LED fixtures reduced energy usage by 30 percent compared to the high pressure sodium system," said Scott Trainor, city manager, City of Fountain. "Everyone agrees the difference in lighting is dramatic—the LED light fixtures significantly improve the appearance of Fountain's City Hall at night without shining light into the sky."

In the past, the City maintained the lighting system as needed, making repairs such as replacing burned out lamps and failed starters. Trainor expects the LED system to require no maintenance for many years.

"We are pleased with the LED light fixtures and their ability to help us reach our sustainability goals while providing a very aesthetic and dark-sky compliant light," Trainor said. "We have received very positive comments and people feel the color rendering is great."

He added the City of Fountain will consider using Holophane Utility Post Top LED light fixtures for future applications based on cost, appearance and the availability of funds.