highland park lighting crisis spurs citizens to action - solar powered street lights

Mich Highland Park
There is an amazing street light problem, but a small number of citizens think they can remedy it.
Faced with $58 million in municipal debt and $60,000 in monthly electricity bills, which it was unable to pay last year, it decided to actually remove 1,000 of the 1,500 street lights to help reduce utility costs.
The decision may save the city money, but it also keeps residents in the dark.
Tired of accepting a permanent night
The city is out of power most of the time, cafe owner. J.
O'Neal worked with several residents of Highland Park to find a solution.
They believe that the answer to the urban lighting problem lies in the crowd --
Solar street light--
Their vision is progressing.
The first of these lights was installed on Tuesday at 150 Victor Street.
The historical background of the first car assembly plant in the United States ---
Just in time for Thanksgiving.
Huffington Post spoke to O'Neill about the technical, environmental and social dimensions of the project.
Huffington Post: Explain what's going on with the street lamp project. A. J.
It was a vision a few months ago.
Highland parks have to come to an agreement to pay off their debts by having two
The third or more municipal street lights were actually taken back by utility companies and removed.
When I did a lot of business and other things in Highland Park, I realized it was just a shame to cry ---the dark.
It's very bad to see and browse around.
This is not good for safety nearby.
Not good for anyone.
So we launched a campaign called "solardarity. It's a three-
The soul, the Sun and the multifaceted discourse of unity.
We raised enough money to get the first street lamp in the whole Highland Park, hoping to get 199 after that.
Tell us something about the street light itself?
Street lamps are actually state-of-the-art.
Its LED, 45 W, maximum output for lighting.
It just lights up a very large landscape Road.
It's actually made entirely in Michigan. made products.
What Michigan did not make was made in the United States. S. A.
It has a composite fiberglass rod and battery, 25 feet high-
Four 115-pound battery tanks-
Sit on it and lock it in a closed compartment.
It protects them from elements, almost theft. proof.
Glass itself is stone.
Throw anti-destructive agents.
This is a very good light.
How long has this street lamp been?
The patent is two years old.
The company has been around for a long time.
Craig Brumels is my technical assistant and owner of Dutch solar street light in Michigan. We co-
Cooperate on this project.
We look forward to a great opportunity.
How much does one of the street lights cost?
When you consider street lights, transportation installation, excavation and backfilling, the total cost of street lights will be about $5,500.
It can even rise from there if we start to get municipal permits and requirements.
We need to solve the problem of how the community handles these street lights because we will get zero electricity. . . .
But they need to be adopted, looked after and [we'll need]
A community fundraising campaign for battery replacement and maintenance and the operation of municipal facilities-
Unless the municipality wants to approve the utility bill through the taxpayer's money.
This is only the first step in overall maintenance.
About ten-
The annual life of the battery, but what you're talking about is the replacement [$1,100]it].
We do not want to see that thing be eliminated in ten years.
Why do you think this is an important project that people know?
Very simple, not just the green economy.
Make our town safer.
It's not much simpler than this. . . .
Highland Parks can serve as prototypes for urban lighting needs, providing models for other parts of the country.
This is completely feasible.
If we can do it in Highland Park, we can do it anywhere.
Who is involved in this project?
Solardarity was originally a very small unpretentious basement conversation in the basement of the Church ---
Kyle walfett, Jackson Copel, Stephanie Edlinger, Lawrence Ray, and myself.
We basically started there. (
O'Neil runs his cafe in St's basement.
Share this space with some other groups).
How did you fund the project?
We came up with this scheme through the indiegogo project, some of which were also privately donated by cheque.
I think it's crowdfunding.
This is a relatively new way to provide loans or funds for projects that are considered worthwhile.
We submitted a video that you can find on indiegogo.
Com/solardarity.
We're almost two years old.
Our target is $6,250, but we have at least a street light installed, which is minimal.
We still have to pay campaign-related fees now, but we are confident that we will get it and then get some.
The rest of the money will go to the next one.
We need a total of 200. Why 200 lights?
This is what the city estimates to meet their lighting needs.
It seems a bit ambitious.
How do you think you will pay for all these street lights?
From a conversation like this, give an example.
Highland Park is the center of the manufacturing economy that leads to the middle class ---
This led to everything.
In the 100 celebration of the first assembly line, I was not the only one who didn't want to see the Highland Park without proper street lights.
I can share this story with as many people as possible-
They either start their home in Highland Park or support their families. -
And hopefully some of them will be willing to subscribe to it.
I think this can be done.
Is there anyone else who should know?
You can participate in the donation.
Visit solardarity.
If you want to donate.
You can find a link on that page.