Everything About Street Lighting

• 12 Apr 2024

Street lighting plays an important yet often overlooked role in shaping urban environments. As streets serve as public spaces where people interact, lighting design directly impacts how safe, welcoming, and vibrant these areas feel.

Without proper consideration, lighting can be inefficient, uneven, and even hazardous due to excessive glare. However, a well-designed street lighting design tailored to its specific surroundings and needs ensures visibility and optimises aesthetics and energy use. When planning lighting upgrades or new installations, taking time to evaluate certain key factors leads to street lighting solutions that improve public experiences and serve communities best in the long term.

LED Street Light vs. HPS Street Light

High-Pressure Sodium (HPS) lamps and Light-Emitting Diode (LED) streetlights have been two of the most commonly used lighting technologies.

HPS Street Lights was introduced in the 20th century, HPS lamps have been widely used due to their high luminous efficiency and relatively low initial cost. They emit a characteristic yellow-orange glow, making them a common choice for highways, streets, and public spaces.

And in recent years, LED technology has revolutionized street lighting with higher energy efficiency, longer lifespan, and superior light quality. Unlike HPS lamps, LEDs offer better color rendering, directional lighting, and smart control capabilities, making them the preferred choice for modern city infrastructure.

As cities transition to smart and sustainable lighting solutions, it’s essential to compare these two technologies to understand their advantages and limitations. Let’s explore their differences in key aspects such as energy efficiency, brightness, lifespan, environmental impact, and cost.

Types of Street Lights

Here’s an overview of the different types of street lights commonly used

Incandescent Street Lights

Incandescent street lights utilize a heated filament to produce light. They are known for their excellent color rendition and affordability. However, they have a short lifespan and are less energy-efficient compared to other lighting options. Due to these drawbacks, their use in street lighting has diminished over time.

Fluorescent Street Lights

Fluorescent lamps operate by passing an electric current through a gas, causing it to emit ultraviolet light, which then excites a phosphor coating inside the lamp to produce visible light. They are more energy-efficient than incandescent lamps and produce less heat. However, their light can sometimes appear harsh, and they have been largely replaced by more efficient technologies in street lighting applications.

Mercury Vapor Street Lights

Mercury vapor lamps generate light by sending an electric arc through vaporized mercury. They are bright and durable, making them effective for long-lasting outdoor illumination. However, they are less energy-efficient and have a longer warm-up time. Their bluish light can also distort color perception.

High-Pressure Sodium (HPS) Street Lights

HPS lamps produce light by passing an electric arc through a mixture of gases, including sodium, under high pressure. They are known for their long lifespan and energy efficiency. The characteristic yellow-orange glow can affect color rendering, making it challenging to distinguish colors accurately under this lighting.

Metal Halide Street Lights

Metal halide lamps operate similarly to mercury vapor lamps but include additional metal halide compounds to improve light quality and efficiency. They emit a bright, white light with good color rendering properties, making them suitable for areas where color distinction is important. However, they have a shorter lifespan and are less energy-efficient compared to HPS and LED options.

Light Emittin Diode (LED) Street Lights

LED street lights use semiconductor devices that emit light when an electric current passes through them. They are highly energy-efficient, have a long lifespan, and offer excellent color rendering. LEDs can be programmed for dimming and other smart features, making them increasingly popular in modern street lighting applications.

Solar-Powered Street Lights

Solar-powered street lights combine LED technology with solar panels and batteries to operate independently of the electrical grid. They are environmentally friendly and can be cost-effective in areas with abundant sunlight. However, their performance is dependent on weather conditions, and they require regular maintenance to ensure battery longevity.

The Role of the Design of Street Lighting 

At night, proper street lighting design allows streets to continue facilitating travel, recreation, and social activity. It impacts safety, security, and comfort that encourage using areas throughout the evenings. Optimized designs improve visibility for navigation and emergencies while complementing surroundings.

Poor planning undermines safety perceptions, wastes energy, and delivers unwelcoming tones. Therefore, properly balancing illumination, aesthetics, and efficiency from the outset ensures street design maximises space usability. When it comes to street lighting design, here are the key factors to consider:

Luminance Level

Proper luminance is needed to clearly illuminate pathways for safe travel without wasting energy caused by excessive brightness. Evaluating factors like pedestrian activity, traffic volume, and road classification allows for optimising luminance adjustment. For example, busier intersections and vehicle lanes may require higher luminance than calmer sidewalks. Achieving the proper balance between visibility and efficiency requires careful consideration.

Luminance Uniformity

Consistent illumination across an entire street or area is vital to real and perceived safety. Without uniform light levels, dark spots are created that could obscure obstacles, surfaces, or potentially dangerous situations. Unlit areas become safety hazards and diminish a sense of security. Proper placement and angling of street lighting design prevent unintended shadows and ensure smooth transitions between the lighting of different structures, like buildings and signs.

Glare

Harsh or unshielded light sources can create disabling glare instead of improving visibility as intended. Excessive brightness or uneven distribution from fixtures like exposed bulbs distracts and impairs night vision for drivers, cyclists, and pedestrians. Controlling flexible neon LED strip glare through fully shielded, precisely aimed fixtures minimises discomfort and distraction while maintaining quality illumination across surfaces.

Effectiveness

Economic effectiveness is an important aspect to consider in street lighting design as it involves optimising the cost-effectiveness of the lighting system over its lifespan. Here are some factors to consider in achieving economic effectiveness:

• Initial Cost: Evaluate the upfront costs of purchasing and installing street lighting fixtures, poles, wiring, and controls. Compare different lighting technologies, such as LED, HID, or fluorescent, to determine the most cost-effective option considering initial investment and long-term savings.
• Energy Efficiency: Prioritize energy-efficient lighting technologies, such as LED (Light Emitting Diode), which consume less energy compared to traditional lighting sources like HPS (High-Pressure Sodium) or incandescent bulbs. Calculate the potential energy savings over the lifespan of the lighting system to determine its economic viability.
• Maintenance Costs: Consider the ongoing maintenance costs associated with the street lighting system, including lamp replacements, fixture repairs, and cleaning. Choose durable fixtures with long lifespans and minimal maintenance requirements to reduce long-term maintenance costs.
• Life Cycle Cost Analysis (LCCA): Conduct a life cycle cost analysis to evaluate the total cost of ownership of the street lighting system over its expected lifespan. This analysis should include initial costs, energy costs, maintenance costs, and replacement costs to determine the most economically effective option.

Surrounding Environment

Existing structures, vegetation, typical activities, and the natural or built landscape influence ideal lighting temperature, illumination direction, and fixture appearance. Warmer or cooler hues, cutoff angles, and compatible contemporary or historic-style fixtures help to forge a unique environment.

Aesthetics

Attractive, consistent installation and ongoing maintenance help street lights define and reinforce positive neighbourhood character and identity in the long term. A coordinated street lighting design improves visual cohesion and perception of quality.

Conclusion

Thoughtful considerations of luminance, uniformity, effectiveness, and aesthetics optimize street lighting performance. The commercial lighting manufacturer LEDIA is an expert in this area. For decades, this company has catered to several street lighting design projects, providing tailored solutions that have won positive remarks worldwide.

Visit LEDIA’s website today to tap the potential of lights.

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