46th Street Pilot Street Lighting Project

Street lighting improvements provide an opportunity for governments to save money and to reduce their environmental footprint. New energy-efficient technologies are being perfected that are more efficient than standard high-pressure sodium streetlights. Light-emitting diode (LED) and induction are two types that hold promise of saving money while using less energy to reach light standards. Many manufacturers have developed energy-efficient lighting products with a variety of performance claims. There has been limited in-field, head-to-head testing of these products, particularly in cold weather climates, to help governments choose the most suitable product. This research project had two aims: (1) compare lighting performance among induction, LED, and standard high-pressure sodium streetlights, and (2) compare lighting performance among six LED brands/manufacturers and three induction brands/manufactures to evaluate consistency by vendor. This research evaluates the LED and induction streetlights on several measures: (1) energy consumption, (2) operating costs, (3) maintenance calls, (4) light levels and quality, and (5) public reaction/acceptance.