LED Lighting Is Most Everywhere

A growing number of cityscapes will be lit by LED lighting in the coming decade. Larger cities haven't been as enthusiastic about LEDs (yet), but smaller cities like Pittsburgh, Oakland and Detroit are making up for that lack. This week saw Detroit playing host to US Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz as he lent his approval of the city's LED lighting projects. LEDs are attractive to cities like Detroit who are economically distraught. Many such cities have out-of-date or completely inoperable lighting infrastructure and though LEDs are initially more expensive, they provide a long-term solution with lower overhead for decades to come.

It seems that the federal government is getting in on the game as well. The White House is providing financial assistance to 5 US cities willing to invest in modern lighting infrastructure. To show its commitment to green technologies, the Administration retrofitted the lights on the National Mall with LEDs. The move should satisfy green voters as well as the fiscally conservative; by this action alone, the Park Service will cut 65% from its electric bill.

The economic sensibility of LEDs is catching the eyes and ears of governments at the local, national and international level. Across the pond in London, England light-emitting diodes are making an impact. English schools like the Business Academy Bexley are taking advantage of the savings offered by LED lighting fixtures over traditional styles. For sake of perspective, this will equate to nearly 35,000 US dollars in operating cost savings per year.

The London school has increased the return on its investment by adding adaptive wireless controls. These smart controllers automatically calculate the desired light level in relation to the amount of natural light.

Developing cities like Pittsburgh, Detroit, and Oakland could deepen savings by encouraging natural light in new building projects and the addition of adaptive controllers. This will lower lighting costs even farther as the technology leads to building innovations that capitalize on renewable light sources (i.e. the Sun).

Inner city lighting will benefit most directly from LED lighting solutions. The coming months will see the installation of 30,000 scalable GE LED light fixtures in Oakland. These scalable light fixtures will cut down on discrepancies in inventory, installation, and maintenance. The ability of these fixtures to be scaled from 3,000lm to 20,000lm makes them interchangeable and useful across a range of urban settings.

Even though green technologies and legislative actions set to implement them tend to inspire fierce debate, there is little to speak of when it comes to LEDs and the subsequent ban of incanescents. It might be true that so far only progressive-leaning city governments have adopted LED technology, but I doubt it will stay that way for long. LEDs are simply too fiscally advantageous to fall victim to partisan politics. So join me on the path to the future. The streets of the future are illuminated by LEDs.

LED Lighting Options For Your Office Pittsburgh LED Lighting Companies Illuminating US Cities