By Allie Seligman |The Arizona Republic
Peoria, which prides itself on sustainability efforts, has learned that green has its limits.
The City Council on Tuesday approved $200,000 in new lighting to replace solar-powered lights that were not bright enough to illuminate the tennis courts and a skate pad at WestWing Park.
The solar lights, billed as an environmentally friendly way to save money, are fully functioning, Community Services Director John Sefton said, but too dim in the active-use area during the winter months.
“We’re on a mission to be as sustainable as possible,” Sefton said. “Unfortunately, it doesn’t always work the way we think that it’s going to.”
WestWing Park opened in 2009 at 27100 N. WestWing Parkway in north Peoria. Extending electricity to the sports-use end of the park was ruled out in favor of solar lighting during planning and construction, Sefton said.
In the summertime, the solar lights are strong, he said. They charge all day and don’t come on until about 8p.m., after the sun sets.
If you’d like to discuss energy issues, contact Court Rich, Co-Chair of Rose Law Group’s Renewable Energy Department at crich@roselawgroup.com
