After deciding that LED-based solid-state lighting (SSL) was not a good match for extreme desert temperatures, the city of Tempe, Arizona has decided to install 1,000 induction street lights to launch phase one of a street-light-retrofit initiative.
“After evaluating the two leading street lighting platforms of induction and light emitting diode, or LED, Tempe ruled out LED for its high equipment cost and performance volatility in the temperature extremes of the southern Arizona environment.”
The city of Columbus, Ohio reported similar issues of street light failure within two months of LED installation. However, the problems that occurred as a result of this installation were not specifically linked to LED or induction lights and most other municipalities and utilities have had a positive experience with LED and induction lighting, which, generally, has produced 20% in energy savings. For instance, a retrofit initiative in Dublin, Ohio of 1,500 street lights with LED-based lights reduced energy by 40-50% and cut costs by $500,000.
Although it remains unclear as to whether or not the performance of LED-based lights are actually affected by desert southwest climates, the lower initial costs of induction lighting certainly make them a more attractive option for replacing the current high-pressure-sodium (HPS) and metal-halide (MH) street light sources. Most importantly, this retrofit will reduce the energy required to power the lights by as much as 40% and offer increased energy savings for the city of Tempe.
Photo courtesy of Tempe.gov
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