The twinkling white lights along Denver’s 16th Street Mall will go “green” this holiday season.
The Business Improvement District and Denver Civic Ventures announced Thursday that they will decorate downtown with light-emitting diodes this year, in support of Mayor John Hickenlooper’s “Greenprint Denver” program.
Bought from The Keesling Group, based in Denver, the LED lights use 98 percent less electricity than conventional bulbs. Treated properly, they are durable for up to 200,000 hours and can last up to 20 years.
“We wanted to do something that enhances the environment, saves money and resources and reduces our electricity use on an annual basis,” said John Desmond, administrative manager of the district and vice president of urban planning and environment for the Downtown Denver Partnership.
The district spends more than $200,000 annually to light and decorate the 120-block downtown area as part of its Mile High Holidays Program. More than 460,000 LED lights manufactured by Denver- based Diogen Lighting will be installed this year by Grand Impressions LLC. Officials wouldn’t say how much they spent on the lights.
The energy-efficient lights will lead to savings of $100,000 over the next three years because they can be reused, instead of having to be purchased new every year, Desmond said.
“You don’t have to blow the budget to do something that is environmentally friendly and sustainable,” he said.
Staff writer Julie Dunn can be reached at 303-820-1592 or jdunn@denverpost.com.
