From Guest Blogger Shawn Tougas: Converting Streetlights to LED

Energy efficiency in light bulbs has a range of 5 – 90 percent depending what technology is used. The average building uses 15% of its energy on lights, leading many private companies to make the conversion to efficient technology on their own, and some nations to implement regulations forcing this change. Most of the focus has been on consumer lighting but a major opportunity exists in municipal streetlights.

The old technology for streetlights is High Pressure Sodium (HPS). An excited sodium particle bounces around, and in the process creates an orangish type of light. Heat is generated which goes unused for the most part, and only a portion of the emitted light hits the desired target.

One of the more promising technologies for streetlights is Light Emitting Diode (LED). It has to do with electrons passing through a semiconductor material which eventually creates a white form of light. There is little to no heat created in the process and the light can be directed to where it needs to be. Overall, it is a much more efficient process.

At present, most municipalities are still using the inefficient HPS technology. They cost about 1/4 of the price and last 4-5 years. LED lights are more expensive but last closer to 20 years. If you do the math, the price is about equal over time. If you then add the benefits to the environment and the savings on energy costs (over 50% in many cases), LEDs look like an obvious choice. So why haven’t they been fully accepted yet?

LED technology has been around for decades. The costs have just recently come down to the point where it is feasible for streetlights. Some municipalities have begun case studies on selected streets, and some have already converted everything LED. For a small city, investing in a product that has a lifespan of 20 years is a significant investment, so there has been some delay in making sure the technology is fully there.

In the future, you can expect to see your streetlights turning from the standard orange HPS to white LEDs. The process may have already begun in your city. Hopefully we can capitalize on the energy savings this will give us in the future and make our cities more environmentally friendly.

Author Shawn Tougas used to work in the LED business. He now runs WealthPrep.ca, a personal finance resource helping people make smarter financial decisions.