(Credit: Pixabay)The Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) has initiated a streetlight conversion pilot program, which will involve replacing more than 8,000 high-pressure sodium lighting fixtures with LEDs. The $18.6 million project is funded by an energy savings performance contract (ESPC) that will result in an estimated equivalent of 3,500 metric tons of carbon emissions saved annually.
The 8,000 streetlights to be replaced during this pilot are along highways in Region 1 of the ODOT system, which includes the Clackamas, Hood River, Multnomah, and eastern Washington counties.
The new LED streetlights use 50% less energy than traditional highway lighting fixtures and are dark-sky friendly with a color temperature of 3,000 to 4,000 Kelvin. The longer lifecycle for each LED fixture — which is roughly 15 to 20 years compared with a two- to four-year lifespan of traditional high-pressure lights — means that there will be less disruption to the public due to traffic control for replacement, according to Ameresco.
ODOT selected Ameresco as its project partner. Ameresco officially began work on this project in May 2020. It expects to complete this project by summer 2021.
A 2019 report stated that the global LED lighting market reached $26.09 billion in 2016 and is likely to cross $54.28 billion by the end of 2022, growing at a CAGR of almost 13% from 2017 to 2022. The research noted the advantages provided by LED lights over fluorescent and incandescent lamps as the major factor boosting the growth of the LED lighting market.
Advantages include higher brightness, energy efficiency and longer life span of LED lights. Incessant new product launch by players such as GE and Philips along with other players with innovative tech is drawing the customer all over the world. For example, in August 2017, Kenall rolled out 6-inch modular downlights, which were developed to perform competently for years and are suitable for pharmaceutical processing, tightly sealed and compatible for military installations.
