A recent research study attempts to shed light on the savings achievable with outdoor LED lamps.
The study tested 27 LED products in 15 trials across nine of the 12 cities participating in the LightSavers consortium, an international LED financing, testing, and policy organization.
Ranging from October 2009 to January 2012, the trials (of which 13 are complete) examined product durability, energy savings, compliance with local lighting standards, product lifespan, public reaction, and economics for outdoor LED luminaires in varying settings and weather conditions.
In most of the cities, which included New York City and Toronto, results from the trial and subsequent public surveys indicated that many commercially available outdoor LED products offered high durability, significant energy savings, and compliance with local lighting standards if sized properly for the intended application.
The LED installations almost invariably stabilized in light output and color over the first 6,000 hours of operation after the initial burn-in period of roughly 1,000 hours, when the light output was volatile. Public surveys in four cities indicated that LEDs in city streets, parks, and parking areas were preferred over conventional lighting.
Other findings included:
- Only six of the 533 LED luminaires tested have failed, with all six failing for reasons unrelated to the LED devices.
- Energy savings varied from 18-85%, and 20 of the 27 luminaires showed savings of at least 50%.
- Ten luminaires showed savings of 70% or more, with efficiency reaching up to 80% when the products were paired with smart controls.
- The average LED product tested produced 2.1 times as much illuminance per watt as baseline conventional lighting.
The study was sponsored by Philips and conducted by The Climate Group, a not-for-profit organization advocating less carbon consumption by working with companies, states, regions, cities, and public figures. Technical reports on each trial are available at theclimategroup.org.