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Village of Seneca Falls Lights Up the Holidays with Energy Efficient LED Decorative Light Strings

Posted on: Wednesday, 10 December 2008, 15:43 CST

NYSERDA encourages cities and towns across New York to use energy efficient lights for holiday displays

SENECA FALLS, N.Y., Dec. 10 /PRNewswire/ -- With help from the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA), the Village of Seneca Falls is making the holiday season a little greener by investing in energy efficient Light Emitting Diode (LED) decorative lights to complement its festive decorations.

Seneca Falls is believed to be the real setting for the classic holiday film, "It's a Wonderful Life," and Director Frank Capra is known to have visited Seneca Falls shortly before shooting the movie. The town's bridges, Main Street and homes all look remarkably like those in the fictional Bedford Falls depicted in the classic film. Seneca Falls celebrates this connection with a weekend celebration featuring Karolyn Grimes, who played Zuzu Bailey in the film, as well as a parade, caroling, train rides with Santa, Victorian Christmas Tea, wagon rides and a full slate of activities.

This year's festivities will be even more special with the introduction of energy-efficient LED holiday lighting that will reduce the environmental impact of the events and save on energy bills. Karolyn Grimes will flip the switch on the lights to kick off the town's holiday lighting ceremony on Friday, December 12 at 7 p.m.

Seneca Falls will use 5,400 commercial grade LED decorative light strings to light the Main Street and the steel truss bridge that looks exactly like the one where George Bailey met the angel, Clarence. The holiday lights will be used for 45 days and draw only 2,800 kilowatts of power, saving the Village of Seneca Falls about $4,000 and over 26,000 kilowatt-hours annually. The town purchased the lights from Downtown Decorations, a supplier of holiday decorations based out of Syracuse.

"One message of the movie 'It's a Wonderful Life' is the collective impact that we have when each person makes a small contribution to a cause," said Mayor Diana Smith. "While the residents of Bedford Falls band together to prevent the bank from going under, the residents of Seneca Falls are banding together to protect our environment. This event brings energy efficiency to Main Street both literally and figuratively."

The Village of Seneca Falls is using commercial grade LEDs to decorate the town, but this year consumers can find ENERGY STAR(R) qualified LED decorative light strings for their homes. ENERGY STAR qualified LED decorative light strings last up to 10 times longer and use 75 percent less energy than traditional incandescent strands. They produce almost no heat, last for up to 11 seasons, will not overload indoor or outdoor circuits, and come in a variety of shapes, lengths and colors. LED decorative light strings are constructed with solid-state chips that convert electricity into light without using a filament or glass bulb making the lights more durable and shock-resistant than traditional light strings.

New York residents can also save over $30 this holiday season by decorating their homes with a variety of energy efficient lighting choices that are easy, safe and last longer than traditional holiday lighting. Other holiday lighting options include:

• Fiber optic holiday lights - These cool-to-the-touch lights are a good choice for paths, trees, decks, patios and vaulted ceilings because fiber optic cables make it easier to access and maintain lights in hard-to-reach areas.
• Rope lights - These lights last more than 20,000 hours and make a safe choice for decorating trees, doors and windows.
• ENERGY STAR Candelabra Compact Fluorescent Lamps (CFLs) - These CFLs use about 75 percent less energy, produce the same lumens, and generally last 10 times longer than the average incandescent bulb. They can be used in candlesticks and menorahs instead of an open flame.

For a list of statewide retailers that sell energy efficient lighting products, visit www.GetEnergySmart.org or call toll-free 1-877-NY-SMART.

The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) uses innovation and technology to solve some of New York's most difficult energy and environmental problems in ways that improve the State's economy.

SOURCE New York State Energy Research and Development Authority

Source: PR Newswire

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