Almost 17 years ago, a community in the Caribbean purchased solar street lighting systems for areas around the neighborhood. Now they are purchasing additional lights to expand their current installation. Technology has changed a lot since the first light was installed. Here’s a comparison of the technology used then and now.
The old style lights use compact fluorescent lamps while the new design uses LED fixtures. The cost of the new fixtures is a little higher than the old-style Cobrahead fixtures; however, the overall savings from using LEDs will pay for the new fixture design quickly. LEDs use about 1/3rd the amount of power to provide the same lighting as CFL lamps and last over five times longer. This will reduce maintenance costs drastically since LED fixtures have 100K hours or more lifespan.
With more efficient lighting available through LED technology, energy consumption is lowered. The old solar lights required a much larger power system to light the streets from dusk to dawn. The smaller solar power system also does not require as strong of a pole for hurricane resistance as the systems have a smaller EPA value, lowering overall system cost by as much as 10%.
Finally, the new systems’ mounting system is a lot different. The new T-Top style mounting uses fewer resources, is easier to install, and provides less wind resistance than before, which is great for hurricane-prone areas. The fixture mounting is now a curved, tapered, upsweep bracket that is more architecturally pleasant compared to the old-style straight pipe.
It is always nice to see how technology advances and changes over the years. After 17 years of service, the new systems will fit in great, providing the community additional security through the use of the new LED street lights. What other lighting technology changes have happened in the last decade and a half?