Though a fitting tribute to the artist formerly known as Prince, the purple streetlights of Hopkinsville were not intentional.
And soon, they’ll all be replaced.
Thursday afternoon, officials with the City of Hopkinsville announced that these high-efficiency LED lights were manufactured with a defect — one that causes their normal white light to eventually turn a darker hue.
Hopkinsville Electric Systems personnel are aware of the problem, and are currently working with the manufacturer to replace all of the bulbs, which do remain under warranty.
Those who notice a bluish-purplish street light are encouraged to report its location to HES officials by writing down the pole’s five-digit number found near eye level, and then calling (270) 887-0773 for inventory.
Jeff Hurd, general manager for HES, said the defect comes from the bulb’s coating — and as it erodes over time, the LED’s natural spectrum starts to show.
Hurd said that, unfortunately, a system-wide changeover between 2017 and 2019 brought around 3,200 of these bulbs to Hopkinsville and Christian County.
Around 1,600 of them are defective, and Hurd noted around 600 still need to be switched.
This has also been a problem across North America, and Hurd added that supply chain and replacement demand has been high.
LED bulbs have long been lauded for their energy efficiency, cost effectiveness and low maintenance, which Hurd noted makes this recent light plight a little more frustrating.
HES has recently received a new shipment of replacement bulbs, and Hurd said that HES will be dedicating a service truck to these efforts.
The work comes to the forefront because — while the purple lights are pleasant and pretty — Hurd ushered that they’re at times a safety hazard.
A defect, however, might not deter one municipality in the Commonwealth. In talking with some associates in Bowling Green, Hurd said there have been discussions of repurposing some bulbs for use near the high school — whose students and graduates are known as “Purples.”
In October 2022, Susana De Silva of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation reported the city of Vancouver, British Columbia, had this very same issue — needing to replace 2017-through-2019 LED lightbulbs all across town. She also said that Manitoba Hydro replaced nearly 1,000 defective streetlamps in that province, with more than 700 needing an update.
Kenneth Chan, of Daily Hive Urbanized, reported that LED lights in Vancouver were credited for reducing intersection collisions by 21%, and reducing traffic-related fatalities and injuries involving pedestrians by 65%. Furthermore, cities that transition completely to LED implements have pointed to 50% reductions in electricity costs to run streetlamps, as well as a “substantial” reduction in greenhouse gas emissions.