The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has published the final report from a demonstration conducted in Palo Alto, California, to evaluate the feasibility of replacing high-pressure sodium (HPS) streetlights with LED and induction streetlights. This GATEWAY demonstration report provides an overview of project results including lighting performance, economic performance, and potential energy savings.

In this project, three groups of HPS streetlights were replaced — four with one type of LED luminaire, three with another type of LED luminaire, and three with induction luminaires — allowing comparisons between the three groups as well as to the existing technology. In addition, two LED and two induction luminaires were installed on a commercial street in the center of Palo Alto to test a remote streetlight monitoring system. Key findings include:

•Of the three systems (induction, HPS, and LED), LED used the least energy (44% reduction compared to the baseline HPS) and provided comparable average illuminance on the street.

•LED luminaires produced more uniform light output than HPS or induction luminaires, and had better cutoff on the curbside, resulting in significantly reduced light trespass onto residential properties.

•Simple payback for retrofitting a 70-W (nominal) HPS with an LED luminaire was estimated to be around 12 years, improving to about 10 years in a new construction scenario.

For more details, download the complete report here. This lighting demonstration is one of many DOE GATEWAY demonstrations that showcase high-performance LED products for general illumination.