LED evolution drives clean revolution

There’s a quiet revolution underway. But instead of changing the balance of power, this revolution involves changing something rather more mundane: light bulbs.

LightSavers is a global pilot of LED lamps comprising 15 separate trials in 12 cities including New York, London, Kolkata and Sydney, sponsored by Philips. The findings of the pilot are presented in a report entitled Lighting the Clean Revolution: The Rise of LED Street Lighting and What it Means for Cities.

Launched as part of the Clean Revolution campaign at the Rio+20 UN Global Compact Corporate Sustainability Forum, the Clean Revolution report serves as a guideline for policymakers and city light managers planning large-scale LED retrofits.

The study - the culmination of a two-and-a-half-year global pilot - found that LED lighting can generate energy savings of up to 85% and is preferred by those living in pilot cities, thanks to its social and environmental benefits.

LED: the citizens’ choice

Citizens in Kolkata, London, Sydney and Toronto prefer LED lighting, citing benefits such as a greater sense of safety and improved visibility in LED-lit areas. Surveys showed 68 to 90% of respondents endorse city-wide LED installation.

Gobind Saha, who owns a roadside stall in Rabindra Sarani in India, said, “These white lights have changed the way my little business used to be under the street lights every evening. Earlier, anything and everything would look yellow in colour, resulting in a decreased purchasing interest among buyers. But now that a buyer can clearly differentiate between a green and blue, my sales figures have gone higher.”

A long-term commitment

LEDs offer a good return on investment, the report found, as they have a long life span, require minimal maintenance and are a simple way to reduce energy use and carbon emissions.

LEDs used in the LightSavers trials had life spans ranging from 50,000 to 100,000 hours and LED lighting was found to be a durable technology with minimal need for repairs. Ceramic metal halide fixtures have a failure rate of up to 10% over 6000 hours. In comparison, LED product failure is around 1%.

The study found the trialled LEDs achieved the expected 50 to 70% energy savings compared with conventional lighting but, when coupled with smart controls, achieved even higher energy savings - as much as 80%.

“A full switch to the latest energy-efficient LED lighting solutions provides significant energy savings, a reduction in CO₂ emissions, and will transform urban environments,” said Harry Verhaar, Head of Global Public & Government Affairs at Philips Lighting. “We believe that by driving this lighting market transition, our LED lighting solutions will create liveable cities for the benefit of residents and visitors.”

According to the report, doubling global lighting efficiency would have an environmental impact equivalent to eliminating half the emissions of all electricity and heat production in the EU.

The environmental and social impacts of LED lighting seem clear, but an added bonus is the financial impact. The Clean Revolution report showed that, in the United States alone, cutting lighting energy by 40% would not only reduce energy demand equivalent to 198 mid-sized power stations, but would also save US$53 billion in annual energy costs.

LED (R)evolution

Since 1950, fluorescent tubes have doubled in efficiency; since 2000, white LED efficiency has increased by a factor of 10. The Clean Revolution report predicts that in the near future, LEDs will be the technology of choice for most applications, offering energy savings of up to 90% compared with current technologies.

By 2020, the lighting market is expected to expand to US$160 billion, with demand for LEDs rising as their prices decline. In the next eight years, LED prices are predicted to drop by 80%, reaching a global penetration of around 60% across all lighting applications.

The Clean Revolution report predicts a massive uptake of LED use in the next decade, driven by efficiency improvements, cheaper LEDs and a stronger push for low-carbon lighting. It seems that LED evolution will drive the LED revolution.

Ready for the future

The study concluded that “LED outdoor luminaires have reached maturity in terms of their performance … City lighting managers from across the world have independently verified that LEDs can live up to their promise of exceptional performance, energy efficiency and public approval.”

According to the report, municipal councils could reduce their electricity bills by up to 40% just by using LED lighting. The report anticipates that early markets for LEDs such as street lighting will drive development and uptake of LED technology, so it seems the revolution will begin, aptly, in the streets.