10-22-2020
We’ve discussed what consumers can expect from smart poles. (Missed that post? Click here to catch up. ) While new technology makes our lives easier, it also minimizes our impact on the environment. Here’s a quick breakdown of one eco-friendly technological advancement: LED lighting.
Cleaner Materials
Whereas High Intensity Discharge (HID) lamps contain harmful ingredients such as mercury, LED lights are mercury and toxin free. When a business uses bulbs made with toxic materials, they have to pay for specialized disposal when the bulbs burn out. LED lights simplify the disposal process significantly and reduce the amount of toxic waste released into the atmosphere.
Longer Lifespans
The average lifespan of an LED bulb is 50,000 hours. Since most streetlights run for 10-12 hours a day, your LED lights could last up to 5,000 days, or more than 13.5 years! That’s as much as six times longer than other light sources. So, you’ll be spending less in the long run on your lights.
More Efficiency
LED lights are up to 80% more energy efficient compared to incandescent and fluorescent lights. That’s because LED technology converts 95% of electricity into light, with only 5% wasted as heat. Incandescent bulbs produce the exact opposite waste ratio, with up to 95% of their energy turned into heat waste.
Because LED lights require less electricity to produce the same amount of light as alternative sources, power plants emit less greenhouse gas, making LEDs the eco-friendlier option. Plus, they’re easier to focus on the area you want to light, which means you’ll need fewer units to achieve the same lighting effect.
Another factor that affects lighting efficiency is the height of your light poles. It’s important to consider the purpose of your poles (whether for city streets, a parking lot or country roads) and calculate the height based on how much light each pole needs to emit. For example, highways require taller poles to achieve more light coverage.
At United Lighting Standards, we have a variety of products that provide the heavy lifting around LED lighting. Click here to shop our light poles, brackets, options and accessories.
Have questions? Reach out to Joe.
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