Summer 2009

Cities Use LED Streetlights to Cut Energy Costs

Cities across the country are turning to light-emitting diode (LED) streetlights to save energy and money.

USA Today reports that at least 30 cities have requested more than $104 million in Recovery Act funding to help make the change to LED street lighting. Several cities, including Ann Arbor, Mich., and Anchorage, Alaska, have already installed new, LED street lights, and dozens more are planning conversions.

New light-emitting diode (LED) streetlights eliminate unwanted glare, energy waste, light trespass and sky glow that accompany traditional incandescent street lamps.

Compared to traditional sodium vapor lights, LED street lights cut energy use by about 50%. They also produce whiter, brighter light and offer improved reliability and longer product life. Up-front cost is higher than conventional lighting, but lifetime cost is greatly reduced, primarily through energy savings and reduced maintenance.

DOE has long supported LED technologies and research through its Solid State Lighting (SSL) program. The agency's GATEWAY demonstration project showcases high-performance lighting and provides decision-makers with real-life experience and data on product performance and cost effectiveness.

Following a GATEWAY project in San Francisco, city officials installed 50 energy-efficient LED streetlights as a next step in making the switch to the new, more efficient lighting.

Pacific Gas & Electric has announced an incentive plan for LED street lights. Initially, the plan applies only to customer-owned streetlights, but will soon be followed by financial incentives for metered streetlights as well. Other outdoor LED lighting will also be encouraged through various future incentives.