DEC 19

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NYC Moving Towards LED Streetlights



Four years ago, the City of New York held an internationl competition to design the next generation of streetlights for the city. The winner? A lighting design firm from none other than the Big Apple itself – a company called the Office for Visual Interaction. If their prototype makes it through the testing stage, it will become the standard streetlight across the whole city.

It looks nothing like ordinary streetlights. Because its head contains 100 (relatively) small LED bulbs, rather than one giant bulb, the designers had much greater flexibility in choosing a shape. They settled on something long and thin, which makes the streetlight look graceful and light, rather than bulky and 20th century.

The LEDs, of course, will save energy – about 30% compared to sodium. But the bulbs and lenses in each light also offer the ability to be arranged into customized configurations to deliver different “footprints” of light. So, depending on where they are located, the light can be directed to illuminate exactly what is most useful (see the schematic above).

Via WIRED

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Exciting Technology
written by Clark, December 19, 2008
It's neat to see the 'green' movement stretching to such innovative territory. Not only are these lights more environmentally friendly but they are also more practical and effective. I think it is particularly important for us, as consumers, to support ‘green’ business. For example, http://www.simplestop.net stops your postal junk mail and benefits the environment.
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On Demand
written by Carl, December 19, 2008
It would be interesting to come up with a design that dims (turns off most LEDs) when no-one is present, with a pedestrian/car detector to turn the lights on. The streetlights could be linked by wireless to light up sections of streets on demand. It seems like the power bill could be cut in half that way-- maybe more outside a big city.
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CRI?
written by Ian Garrett, December 20, 2008
Any specs on the Color Rendering of these lights? I mean compared to low pressure sodium it can only be the same or better, but high pressure sodium or metal halide HID lamps have made some great strides in color rendering. LEDs have very sharp color spikes, which make their color rending low. Also as an array, they cast odd shadows (hundreds of points of light, versus one). This I can imagine as an issue for public safety. Many cities went to Metal Hallide lamps in their street lights to be able to better identify night time activity. Doesn't help is a blue car looks black, like under a sodium lamp, since those lights tend not to project that portion of the visible spectrum. Without combining multiple colors of LEDs into the fisture I would imagine there are similar issues. Also, I know I don't like the LED christmas lights because of the color white and sharp colors they produce, versus the warmer, broader spectrum light of traditional incandescent, I wonder if these will cast the same cold glow and how the will affect the city in reaction to that phenomenology.
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Longer lasting, too
written by GoSolar, December 20, 2008
Perhaps the biggest savings from using LED lighting comes from the fact that they last so long. The cost of a replacement bulb is small compared to the cost of the ladder or boom truck, crew, fuel, and overhead in CHANGING that bulb. With LED's lasting 10's of thousands of hours, the maintenance costs (taxpayer money) should be lower.

Now if only we saw some "Made in USA" incentive for making more LED's here. My 2000 holiday lights use less than 100 watts of power, but (Damn it) they're all from China. I bought LED's when the price was 5x the cost of traditional (4-5 years ago), and I'd buy US made LED strings if I could find them.
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These lights will change color
written by Robert DiStefano, December 20, 2008
In answer to CRI, I heard that these new lights will be able to change color from a warm white when over a sidewalk to a cool white when over a roadway. They will be able to upgrade to cool features like light dimming as well. I doubt whether they will be turned all the way off though considering New York's crime issues.
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re: on demand
written by Herno, December 21, 2008
That would be great for robbers smilies/tongue.gif
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Snow
written by Todd Edelman, December 30, 2008
They should also be dimmed when the street is covered with snow.

Streets are overlit in general and I have heard illumination has little effect on actual safety from muggings etc... only the perception of safety...
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Smart Roadway Lighting.
written by Charles M, January 20, 2009
There are some places in Europe that have roadway lighting that dim. Traffic sensors detect the amount of traffic and dim sets of roadway lights as needed. Philips, I think is one leader in that area. They presently use HID type lights for this. Philips CosmoWhite CHM (Ceramic Metal Halide)and CosmoGold HPS type lamps. There would be no reason that this couldn't be utilized with LED or even the newer Luxim LIFI STA-40 Plasma lamps.
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there should be ....
written by boom trucks, March 22, 2009
i think that you guys are right there should be some kind of dimmer on the street lights for that matter ive seen that groceries stores have dimmer lights on there frozen food section in the freezer units the lights are automated by a sensor.
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Made in USA
written by Blake Lange, May 11, 2009
GoSolar,

I agree with you that there needs to be more companies that produce L.E.D.'s in the United States. There has been a large amount of money in the stimulus package for cities to purchase L.E.D. streetlights. The money needs to stay in the US.
www.millenniatechnologies.com
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looking for led light agent in usa
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Digger Derrick
written by Digger Derrick, September 30, 2009
Great post! Thanks for the information.
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used bucket truck
written by used bucket truck, September 30, 2009
LED lights rock! That would be great for bucket trucks driving down the road at night...

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