Feasibility of Solar Powered Traffic Signs in Houston - A Step toward Sustainable Control Devices.

摘要

With the economy fluctuating all the time, the federal and some city governments at times spend more money than they take in from taxes. It is important for these governments to find ways to reduce spending while still providing sufficient operations for their constituency. As the national focus turns to finding alternative energy rather than the reliance of fossil fuels, it is not hard to find ways in which the city can save money. One of these ways is taking advantage of the suns energy to power our traffic signals as well as switching the traditional incandescent bulbs to LED. Since the citys origin, Houston, Texas has been a continuous success in population growth, land expansion, job opportunities, and a leader of industry. The city did not get to be where it is by not staying ahead of the curve. With its 2,450 signalized traffic intersections and a wide range in the number of signals at each one, the city has an opportunity to be a leader in large scale retrofitting in the United States. By retrofitting the signals to solar energy and switching to LED the city will see major energy and cost savings, as well as a significant decrease in maintenance cost and time due to the longer lifespan of the LEDs and solar panels.