San Francisco Streets Alight With LEDs
More news on the transition of U.S. lights to energy-efficient LEDs from the streets of San Francisco….The US Department of Energy showcased the high-performance of LED lights in a general use setting with its San Francisco light demonstration report. The report is based on LED street lights installed on four public avenues in the Sunset District of San Francisco. Lights from four different manufacturers were used to replace the 100-watt nominal high-pressure sodium lights. Here is what the DOE determined:
1. Energy consumption was reduced by 50%-70%
2. The cost of running these lights was cheaper
Great news – right? Well, sort of. The problem is that some of the bulbs used are still not commercially available and therefore the installation of such lights in mass quantity is still a ways off. This is a bummer because it seems like the technology is here, the benefits are apparent, we just need manufacturers to get the cost down enough to make them in larger quantities. Incentive programs are also being tried to get cities to order these LED lights now.
Read the complete report at http://www.netl.doe.gov/ssl/index.html and click on GATEWAY demonstration
Photo courtesy of Chris Gulker
