NLPIP evaluation of the best choice between LED street lamp and high pressure sodium lamp

When the LED lamp and high pressure sodium lamp is considered as street lighting, many city is weighing LED lamp, high voltage sodium lamp (HPS) benefits. National plan for lighting products information lighting research center (NLPIP) officially on the existing street lighting technology conducted a "comparable assessment" and the detailed contents of the assessment, was released in September 2010, the report entitled "Streetlights for Collector Roads".

Lighting research center (LRC:Lighting Research Center) was founded in 1990, NLPIP used to help lighting professionals, demand side management, suppliers, contractors, designers, construction managers, owners and other consumers find and effective use can meet the demand of high-quality lighting products.

Compared with the known trademark manufacturing product information, by providing third party information objectively, to verify the performance of the products, the plan has changed the market, enhance the lighting product quality, reliability and energy efficiency of history.

Like all NLPIP publications, the "Streetlights for Collector Roads" detailed report aims to tell a story in an objective way. The report is widely available, but many of the third party summary and explanatory documents are misleading, so I hope this article can clarify several key points.

Evaluation process

In order to follow the special lamp selection process, NLPIP purchase and analysis of 8 kinds of LED lamps, these lamps are recommended by the manufacturer representatives, and equivalent to the lamp in the existing technologies, which uses 150W high voltage sodium lamp type III distribution.

But to the surprise of NLPIP, compared with the existing high-pressure sodium lamp light output technology, there are 6 kinds of LED manufacturers recommend street lamps have a lower light output. However, in order to maximize the unique imitate lamp selection process, the NLPIP purchase and evaluation of street lamp.

NLPIP analysis of the lamp pole spacing to meet the national road lighting standards and ANSI/IESNA RP-8 standard. NLPIP also compared the street's electricity demand, and the economic cost of more than a mile long road.

Evaluation conclusion

The report concludes that, on average, manufacturers recommend the use of LED street lamps can be up to 10%, however, their life cycle costs are higher. The service life of LED lamp manufacturers representatives recommended by more than two times the existing technology of lamp, mainly because the LED lamps required very narrow spacing, road lighting to meet the recommended practices, and streetlights installed cost per mile is leading the whole life cycle cost.

Recent addendum to the report has been on the LED street lamps were detected, and the existing 150W high-voltage sodium lamp can be very closely spaced. Life cycle cost analysis results are shown in the following chart.

The results of these analyses show that the descriptor need to assess all of the available products, either in technology or other aspects, so as to provide lighting to maximize value for their customers and society.

Conclusion summary

In order to meet the standards of road lighting, NLPIP research found that compared with high-pressure sodium lamp, the current LED street lamp:

Can save limited energy;

And, usually have a larger life cycle cost, for the new pole spacing need dispensable.

In addition, it should be noted that manufacturers may also recommend a number of different performance levels of street lamps. (http://www.ledsmagazine.com/features/7/12/11)