Benefits

For Municipalities

Asset Management Benefits ($42.71/light/year):

• Extend luminaire life through optimized dimming
• Reduce maintenance truck rolls and costs
• 40% energy savings while maintaining lighting quality
• Better long-term budgeting and asset planning

Quality of Life Benefits ($19.10/light/year):

• Crime reduction through CPTED principles
• Traffic incident reduction (FHWA Proven Safety Countermeasure)
• Grid stability and demand response capability
• Support for Vision Zero and climate action goals

“Photometrics AI delivers ~$62/streetlight/year in value. The cost to implement is far outweighed by the financial benefits.”

For Utilities

Avoided Costs ($15.48/light/year):

• Energy savings reduce wholesale procurement costs
• Generation capacity avoidance defers investment
• T&D capacity avoidance extends equipment life
• GHG compliance cost reduction

Grid Operations Benefits:

• Reduce evening and early-morning peak loading on LV feeders
• Controllable load with no customer disruption
• Surgical load shedding during emergencies prevents cascading outages
• Street lighting = 1-3% of total demand, higher share at night when active

California Example:

• 4.1M streetlights consuming 205 MW during peak
• 145 MW controllable demand reduction every summer evening
• Equivalent battery storage: ~$174M + years of permitting
• Photometrics AI: <1% of cost, deploy in under 1 month

“Street lighting is one of the largest predictable evening loads on distribution networks that can be managed without customer impact, field activity, or infrastructure changes.”

For Communities

• Safer streets without construction disruption
• Environmental protection (BirdCast integration, reduced light pollution)
• Support for nighttime economy and vibrant neighborhoods
• Equitable service — data-driven, not politically influenced
• Benefits within weeks, not years

“Implementation requires no disruption to daily life. Communities see benefits immediately without torn-up streets or lengthy project timelines.”

Scaling Examples

Additional Benefits (Hard to Quantify, Very Real)

Strategic Funding Opportunities

• SS4A (Safe Streets For All)
• SMART grants
• DOE EECBG and GRIP programs
• DOJ Byrne JAG and COPS grants
• Data-driven evidence strengthens applications

Liability Reduction

• Demonstrate purposeful, optimized lighting management
• Respond quickly to ROW changes (new crosswalks, bike lanes)
• Stronger legal position than “grouped standards” approach

Policy Alignment

• Vision Zero
• Climate Action Plans
• DarkSky Recognized Codes
• Local outdoor lighting ordinances