January 9, 2017

Outdoor lighting challenges and solution pathways

This report from the U.S. Department of Energy's Better Buildings Initiative outlines solutions to overcoming challenges related to outdoor lighting retrofits. 

Recent estimates suggest savings of approximately $6 billion per year if all outdoor lighting was switched to LED technology. This 30-page report highlights three key common challenges — financial, technical and regulatory — associated with evaluating retrofit projects and describes solution pathways that have been demonstrated by municipalities and states to overcome these challenges. 

The report also details the benefits of conversion to LED lighting. Beyond cost and energy savings, the higher efficacy of LED lights provides other benefits, including helping cities reach carbon reduction goals; reduced light pollution from less light being directed into the night sky due to optical control; and greater perceived public safety due to improved visibility through better color rendering, more uniform lighting distribution, and the elimination of many dark areas between poles. In addition, newer technologies with controls and sensors can contribute to additional savings of 20% to 40% based on a sliding scale of dimming and hours-use or operational time.

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