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Street lights provide visibility in public spaces, promoting safety and security at night. They also enhance the aesthetics of cities and towns.
Many communities are turning to LED street lighting to reduce energy costs and maintenance requirements. However, some white LEDs have a high blue content that can cause discomfort and glare.
Energy Efficiency
Street lights are essential for keeping roads, pathways and public spaces illuminated at night. However, they can have a negative impact on the environment if they are not properly maintained and replaced.
By converting existing street lights to LEDs, Councils can realise significant energy savings through the reduction of kilowatt usage. Depending on the type of fixture installed and dimming strategy employed, LEDs can reduce kilowatt usage by 50 to 65 percent.
The more natural light emitted by LEDs also helps improve the color rendering of road surfaces and objects, making them easier to see for pedestrians and drivers. This is especially helpful in areas with a high concentration of traffic and parking lots.
Finally, LEDs do not contain toxic chemicals like mercury, which are found in traditional exterior HID lighting (such as high-pressure sodium and mercury vapor). This makes them safer for the environment, for people and for pets and wildlife that may come into contact with them.
Long Lifespan
The long lifespan of LED street lights reduces energy costs and maintenance. It also increases the safety and security of pedestrians and vehicles at night. It helps to deter criminal activities such as vandalism and theft.
LEDs are more durable and last twice as long as HPS streetlights. They are a safer option for the environment as they contain no mercury and emit less harmful blue light that suppresses a person’s circadian rhythm.
They also come on immediately and can be controlled by occupancy sensors to ensure they only illuminate occupied spaces. This eliminates wasteful warm-up and cool-down cycles.
Investing in LED street lights can help reduce electricity and maintenance costs by up to 65%. This allows cities to save money and spend it on other services. This is especially important for municipalities in developing countries that face high utility bills. It is possible to install these lights without requiring buried cables and rectifiers. They are easy to nest into existing lampposts.
Low Maintenance Costs
LED Street Lights use less energy than the high-pressure sodium lamps they replace, reducing electricity costs. In addition, the LEDs produce a brighter light at lower temperatures than their predecessors.
This means fewer bulbs need to be replaced, further cutting maintenance expenses. LEDs also feature a heat sink, which helps keep the lights cool and reduces the risk of failure from overheating.
PBOT received some feedback from residents that the lights were too bright, so it has set the new ECobra fixtures to their lowest output level. This is a good way to avoid the problems associated with high-intensity lighting, such as sky glow, which can disrupt natural circadian rhythms and cause sleep disturbance.
The City’s utility bills will be significantly lower after the switch to LEDs, further lowering maintenance costs. The new LEDs draw 29W, a 75 percent power reduction over the 118W HPS lights. The LEDs will also require fewer replacement bulbs, which were previously replaced on a five-year schedule.
Reduced Light Pollution
LEDs use up to 60% less energy than traditional high pressure sodium street lights. This reduces your electric bill and also cuts carbon emissions.
But not all LEDs are created equal. Some emit too much blue light, which can have negative impacts on people and wildlife. Light pollution disrupts circadian sleep patterns, can make it hard to focus on objects and can be harmful to nocturnal creatures. It is especially problematic for astronomers who depend on clear skies to conduct their research.
To avoid this, experts have adapted LED street lighting so that the rays are concentrated on the pavement and road rather than into the sky. This helps to prevent the blue-light pollution that was a problem with earlier street lights and could have negative health effects.
