LED light up the streets of environmental protection

There is a reason why cities around the world are turning street lights into low - energy, light emitting diode (LED) lamps. LED uses 70% less energy than conventional bulbs, but has a life expectancy of up to 4 times. The renovation costs of traditional lamps in 3 to 7 years will exceed the original cost.

In addition to energy saving and long life, LED has other advantages. After the installation of a single LED lamp, the brightness and color can be adjusted to meet the needs of business areas, residential areas and parks, even if different seasons can also be converted. Central maintenance equipment can be monitored by wireless technology after lights out. The LED lamp can be designed as a flashing mode during an emergency or as a pointing device in a special event.

However, in addition to a large number of advantages, LED lights also exist problems. Although the purchase price of the LED lamp has been declining, it is still much more expensive than the traditional light bulb. There are dazzling lights, lights of invasion and influence of motorists and pedestrians, cyclists and other defects. And the existence of the existing street lighting equipment refurbished LED lights are also a lot of inconvenience.

Pittsburgh plans in the next 5 years will be converted to LED 40 thousand street lamp. The city has appointed the Carnegie Mellon University's Institute for the reconstruction of the city to analyze the possible negative effects of LED. The institute conducts benchmarking tests on international best practices, studies the latest LED technology, leads the field operation test, interviews stakeholders, and finally recommends it to the government.

As a result, the glare of LED is especially harmful to people with visual impairment and age-related vision loss. The police also said it was difficult to observe the activities of half a block away. However, these problems can be addressed by appropriate design guidelines and specifications.

Reconstruction of City Institute of the project began to design standard lamps of two main types: high pole lamps for the drivers and riders to illuminate the road, and the sidewalk for pedestrians increase low lever lamp brightness. "We recommend the abolition of Pittsburgh lamps global standard, including the oak type high pole lamps and light in all directions other pedestrian lighting, because the LED lamp too oppressive the glare. We recommend a light bulb with a downward cover, and a LED light that lights up a diffuse light near the horizon. Project team researchers say.

In addition, the lighting equipment in the manufacture should be able to control the direction of the light direction of the lamp as the focus, so that the other direction of the LED light can be blocked, only standing on the right side of the lamp was received. The color temperature of the lamp should be adjusted between 2500 Kelvin and 5000 Kelvin to meet the different needs of the business district and residential area. The first batch of 3000 LED lamps will be completed in the Pittsburgh business district in the first quarter of 2012.