Led Street Lighting Better For The Environment

摘要

Light emitting diode (LED) street light-ing can reduce energy consumption by up to 50%, according to a report by lighting manufacturer Dowin. Street lighting accounts for a large percentage of a local government's energy consumption. "Imagine the amount of energy saved per year by changing a single lamp consuming up to 400W with a LED luminaire consuming less than 120W, and then multiply that by the total amount of street lights in a single street or a whole town or district," the report said. LEDs also provide instant light application with no delays to reach full brightness. Other benefits are reduced glare and heat, more even light distribution and a lifespan typically more than 50,000h, the report said. However, one of the important maintenance issues with LED lighting is thermal management, since heat can degrade or destroy the longevity and light output of the LED. "The LED's junction temperatures must be kept at 60℃ with the ambient temperature at 25℃ and it is important for all LEDs to maintain the same temperature conditions and the same decay rates, so that brightness output remains uniform over the light life," the report said. "Heat sinking and air flow must be designed to maintain an acceptable range of operating temperature for both the LEDs and the electronic power supply."