Gatlinburg Press Releases

GATLINBURG – The City of Gatlinburg’s commitment to convert the Gatlinburg Winter Magic lights program to 100 percent LED bulbs during 2008 has paid off in immediate significant savings of electricity.

The final electric bills for the 2008-09 season have been calculated and indicate substantial dollar savings of more than 75 percent through the five-month billing cycle from October 2008 to February 2009 as compared to the similar period in 2005-06.

“Through this first season of the 100 percent LED conversion of the program, we have shaved over $52,000 off our electric bills in comparison to three years ago, when the City’s winter lights program included all incandescent bulbs,” said City Manager Cindy Cameron Ogle.

During the 2005-06 winter season, the City’s electric bills totaled over $68,000 for electric meters servicing winter lights displays throughout the City. By contrast, the City’s electric bills through the same time period in 2008-09 totaled $15,476, with that total including the additional cost of lighting several dozen new displays added in the three phases of Gatlinburg Winter Magic.

“We are spending close to 77 percent less for electricity now than we did three years ago” said Director of Tourism David Perella. “Electric rates have been increased by an additional 14.6 percent by TVA since April of 2006, which would have resulted in several thousand dollars of additional charges if the lighting program had remained incandescent.”

The cost to the City of converting existing displays to LED is estimated to have been about $180,000. Perella said the return on the investment should be regained in about four years, with savings in manpower to maintain and replace the lights also saving Gatlinburg considerable expense.

Last summer, Gatlinburg completed the three-year process of converting all of its winter lights displays from five-watt incandescent bulbs to high-efficiency quarter-watt LED bulbs. Displays are featured all over town, and street poles throughout the City now feature a rich forest of tree branches, scrolls and snowflakes that accent streetlights.

LED bulbs are guaranteed for five years and rarely break or fall out of displays.

“The maintenance of these LED lights is very low and they’re very rugged,” said Robert Marine, Winter Lights Coordinator and Facility Manager of the Building Maintenance Department that handles the electrical wiring of the displays. “They are cool-burning, bright and colorful. It is basically an electronic bulb and is the difference between night and day as far as efficiency. We have not had to rebulb a single LED display this season.”