WEATHERIZATION AND INTERGOVERNMENTAL PROGRAM

success story

REBUILD AMERICA STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT

DOE MID-ATLANTIC REGION

Marple Township

Small Town Lights Its Way to Energy Savings

Marple Township is located about 10 miles outside Philadelphia. Although the

township’s population of around 24,000 makes it a fraction of the size of its neighbor,

this small town has achieved major energy savings, thanks in large part to efficient

lighting technologies.

The Challenge

Many small communities struggle to provide adequate services to their citizens while

staying within their budgets. Capital improvement projects may be put aside, or delayed,

to ensure funds are available for more pressing needs. For many communities in the

Northeast, high energy costs place an additional strain on the budgets of local

governments, as well as citizens and businesses.

The Solution

Since teaming up with Rebuild America in 2000, Marple Township has reduced its

electricity expenses by implementing energy-smart improvements and upgrades,

including energy-efficient lighting. 

Although the incandescent light bulb has been the workhorse of the lighting industry

since its introduction, Edison’s invention is inefficient at producing light. Most of the

electricity used to illuminate an incandescent bulb is wasted as heat.

To reduce municipal electricity bills, the township retrofitted incandescent traffic lights

in 33 intersections with high-efficiency LED (light-emitting diode) traffic lights. An LED

is a simple semiconductor that lights up when electricity is passed through a diode. The

technology illuminates a wide array of devices, from alarm clocks and cell phone

displays to flash lights and exit signs. 

Replacement LED traffic lights use up to 90 percent less energy and last around five

times longer than incandescent lights, which reduces maintenance costs and time. An

additional benefit is that LED traffic lights do not suddenly burn-out like an

incandescent bulb does at the ends its life. LEDs slowly fade, giving ample notice that it

is time to replace the light, making for a safer intersection. And since LED traffic signals

are composed of individual lights bundled together, if ones fails it does not compromise

the utility of the signal. 

The LED traffic lights require no special tools to install. “The retrofit is easy,” says John

Butler, commissioner with Marple Township. “It is a sealed light that fits into the traffic

light.” He also notes that the sealed lights are easier to clean, which reduces

maintenance time. 

Rebuild America 

Success Stories highlight

partnerships working to

improve communities by

practicing energy

awareness and investing in

energy-saving measures.

■ New Building Design

■ Existing Building

Improvement

■ Operation and Maintenance

■ Renewable Energy

Technologies

■ Financing Building

Improvements

■ Energy Education

✓

Continued on back

Thomas Massey House
August 2004

Partnership

Facts:

Name of partnership: 

Marple Township, PA

Targeted projects: 

Traffic signals, residential lighting 

and congregational lighting

Annual energy savings: 

$32,268 (LED traffic signals)

$14,000 (CFLs)

Amount invested in energysaving project or initiative:

$54,101* (LED traffic signals)

$1,000 (CFLs)

Contact:

John Butler

Commissioner

Marple Township

610-353-3856

jbutler@bellatlantic.net

DOE Mid-Atlantic Regional Office

The Wanamaker Building

100 Penn Square East, Suite 890

Philadelphia, PA 19107-3396

215-656-6950

www.eere.energy.gov/ regions/midatlantic/

*Figure does not include federal funds under second

phase

For more information about 

energy-saving technologies, 

visit the Business Partners 

section of the Rebuild America 

Web site: www.rebuild.gov 

or contact Rebuild America 

at: 252-459-4664.

To learn more visit: www.eere.energy.gov

Marple Township also replaced its incandescent walk signals, which used 135 to 165

watt light bulbs, with LED signals that use just 14 watts. The payback period was only

one year and four months. “It’s a missed opportunity for many towns,” says Butler. 

The retrofit cost $50,000 for the first phase (23 of 33 intersections), but the cost of LED

traffic signals dropped considerably since the project started, making the final phase less

expensive per unit. The township also received funds for the second phase under a

federal program to alleviate traffic congestion by timing traffic signals.

Beyond Traffic Signals

To further advance energy-efficient lighting, the township gave hundreds of compact

fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs) to lower-income senior citizens in recognition of Energy

Awareness Month. 

Although CFLs cost more than incandescent light bulbs, the prices are dropping. They

can last up to 10 times longer and use about two-thirds less energy to produce the same

amount of light. With electric rates in the township higher than the national average, the

township’s senior citizens will save approximately $14,000 in energy costs over the life of

the CFLs.

St. Mark’s United Methodist Church helped distribute the CFLs and was even inspired

to retrofit its own lighting. The church replaced incandescent light bulbs in its Sunday

school, church and hallways with CFLs. Energy use for lighting dropped from 15,000

watts to 4,500 watts, says Rev. John Nesbitt.

The long-lasting CFLs also reduce maintenance work. “This is especially important in

the sanctuary where two people are needed to change bulbs in the ceiling,” says Nesbitt.

Additionally, the church helped the Central Delaware County Food Bank and a mass

disaster care facility retrofit their fixtures with CFLs, reducing energy costs for these

community service providers.

What the Future Holds

After the traffic signal retrofit was complete, the Marple Township commissioners voted

to use 5 percent of the energy cost savings to purchase electricity generated from

renewable sources. The traffic and walk signals will soon run on 100 percent green

power, joining the township’s 1696 Thomas Massey House (pictured on front) which

currently is powered by 100 percent wind energy. 

Marple Township is also working on indoor lighting retrofits. In township buildings, T12 fluorescent lights with magnetic ballasts are being replaced with more efficient T-8s

and electronic ballasts, which will further reduce energy costs.

A Strong Energy Portfolio for a Strong America

Energy efficiency and clean, renewable energy will mean a stronger economy, a cleaner environment,

and greater energy independence for America. Working with a wide array of state, community,

industry, and university partners, the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Energy Efficiency and

Renewable Energy invests in a diverse portfolio of energy technologies. 

Rebuild America is a U.S. Department of Energy program that focuses on improving communities

through energy-saving solutions.

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