New solar-powered LEDs to light the way along popular South Park walking trail

In a few weeks, strolling down a popular pedestrian trail in South Park will no longer just be a daytime affair.

Work has begun on a project to illuminate a roughly 2-mile portion of the trail running along Corrigan Drive between Library and Brownsville roads with 122 energy-efficient solar-powered lights.

Allegheny County Executive Rich Fitzgerald said the project addresses multiple goals.

“This project is the latest in a long list of sustainable initiatives in our parks and throughout the county,” he said. “Not only will it allow for more usage of the path, it will also make it safer for users.”

County parks department officials said they wanted to improve safety along the path with lighting because it is open daily from dawn until midnight and frequently is used by people early in the morning and in the late evening.

During construction, parts of the trail will be closed for two to three hours at a time. People using the trial will be detoured to a nearby bike path. The work will not affect vehicle traffic along Corrigan Drive.

Fitzgerald said the pilot project also is “an opportunity to educate residents about the benefits of solar and sustainable projects like this one,” he said.

The county’s department of public works, which is managing the project, will fabricate and install signs along the trail with information about solar lighting and the importance of using renewable energy, the county executive said.

Each of the poles will be equipped with a solar panel, battery and LED lighting as part of the county’s “continued commitment to renewable energy and improving the region’s air quality,” Fitzgerald said.

Using solar power instead of a traditional source of electricity will save about $1,300 a year.

County officials noted that a calculation by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory determined that the new lighting system will use 16,511 kilowatt-hours a year, which is equivalent to charging about 1.489 million smartphones.

Based on that data, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency estimates that each year, the solar lights will keep 20,194 pounds of carbon dioxide, 16 pounds of sulfur dioxide and 14 pounds of nitrogen oxide from being emitted by local power plants, Fitzgerald said.

The manufacturer of the lighting system, Greenshine New Energy, estimates that the cost of installing solar powered lights will end up being 41.5% less than traditional systems after five years because of the energy savings and other factors.

The $738,750 project is being funded with a $323,750 grant from the county’s Clean Air Fund to pay for the solar panels and batteries.

The Clean Air Fund uses fines collected from polluters to pay for projects that improve air quality. No tax dollars are deposited into the fund.

The remainder of the work is being paid for by the county’s public works department.

The work, which is expected to be completed by April, is being done by Allegheny City Electric of Ross Township.