LED "High-Mast" Highway Lighting

Summary

LED "High-Mast" Highway Lighting

High Mast Lighting: LED vs. HPS

LED lighting for high mast lighting (above 100') for highway interchanges and high traffic areas.

Synopsis:

As of October 2012, LED high mast lighting is entering the market. LEDs for high-lumen-output applications are inherently modular; that is, to achieve the high-lumen output demanded by highway lighting, many more LEDs are required in the fixture than for lower-output applications. This makes the first cost for LEDs more expensive. Thus, the cost effectiveness of LED highway lighting will likely continue to be a constraint for several more years. In areas where electricity costs exceed $0.10/kWh the technology may make sense, especially when reduced maintenance is calculated, and lamp life has moved closer to 100,000 hours/25 years. The movement toward adaptive lighting,( reducing light in low use periods) may result in using more controls on roadway lighting. Numerous manufacturers are now offering these products, and jurisdictions such as Los Angeles are beginning to deploy LED highway lighting. The Maine Department of Transportation is retrofitting 1000W HPS fixtures at some interchanges with a 4 year payback with 66% energy savings. Advantages of LED lighting for this application include:

Higher correlated color quality allowing lower light levels for the same visual acuity.
Longer life -- LEDs are often rated with 3-4 times the life of HPS and HID lights. Longer burn time reduces maintenance costs.
Directional control. LEDs give very directional light, making it potentially easier to control. This can help reduce glare, provide more even light distribution, reduce light pollution, and provide more light where it is needed with good design and optics. Dimming is also possible.

Energy Savings: 60%

Energy Savings Rating: Limited Assessment What's this?

Level	Status	Description
1	Concept not validated	Claims of energy savings may not be credible due to lack of documentation or validation by unbiased experts.
2	Concept validated:	An unbiased expert has validated efficiency concepts through technical review and calculations based on engineering principles.
3	Limited assessment	An unbiased expert has measured technology characteristics and factors of energy use through one or more tests in typical applications with a clear baseline.
4	Extensive assessment	Additional testing in relevant applications and environments has increased knowledge of performance across a broad range of products, applications, and system conditions.
5	Comprehensive analysis	Results of lab and field tests have been used to develop methods for reliable prediction of performance across the range of intended applications.
6	Approved measure	Protocols for technology application are established and approved.

Details

LED "High-Mast" Highway Lighting

High Mast Lighting: LED vs. HPS

LED lighting for high mast lighting (above 100') for highway interchanges and high traffic areas.

Item ID: 412

Sector: Commercial

Energy System: Lighting--Fixtures: Outdoor

Technical Advisory Group: 2012 LED Lighting TAG (#5)

Synopsis:

Higher correlated color quality allowing lower light levels for the same visual acuity.
Longer life -- LEDs are often rated with 3-4 times the life of HPS and HID lights. Longer burn time reduces maintenance costs.
Directional control. LEDs give very directional light, making it potentially easier to control. This can help reduce glare, provide more even light distribution, reduce light pollution, and provide more light where it is needed with good design and optics. Dimming is also possible.

Baseline Example:

Baseline Description: 1000W High intensity discharge (HID)
Baseline Energy Use: 5250 kWh per year per unit

Comments:

Based on 1000W HID fixture, drawing 1200W, and on for 12 hrs. per day.
Navigant estimates for U.S. DOE SSL program the average input power of HID highway lighting to be roughly 250 W. http://apps1.eere.energy.gov/buildings/publications/pdfs/ssl/nichefinalreport_january2011.pdf

Manufacturer's Energy Savings Claims: Currently no data available.

Best Estimate of Energy Savings:

"Typical" Savings: 60%
Energy Savings Reliability: 3 - Limited Assessment

Comments:

This is mostly compared to high pressure sodium. To achieve this level of savings as of early 2014, the new lamp would produce fewer lumens than the incumbent technology, but LED highway lamps provide a higher color quality and more even light distribution. By taking full advantage of these factors and the inherent directionality of LEDs, equal or better visual acuity can often be achieved with 70% savings in energy.

Energy Use of Emerging Technology:

2,100 kWh per unit per year What's this?

Energy Use of an Emerging Technology is based upon the following algorithm.

Baseline Energy Use - (Baseline Energy Use * Best Estimate of Energy Savings (either Typical savings OR the high range of savings.))

Technical Potential:
Units: unit
Potential number of units replaced by this technology: 30,000
Comments:

High-mast lighting consists of a number of lamps mounted on 100 foot and higher poles. They are used to provide area lighting at major freeway interchanges. The WA State DOT website lists the number of interchanges along each federal interstate highway in WA. I-5 has approximately 152 interchanges; I-90 about 179; I-405 has 37;, I-82 and 182 about 88. Each major interchanges would typically require 4 poles, each assumed to contain 8-1000 W HPS lamps (this estimate of technical potential assumes that each interchange of the federal interstate can retrofit to 1000 W LED lamps). This equates to 14,848 lamps in the state of WA (assume 15,000). This number is doubled to account for major interchanges in the remainder of the region (to 30,000 lamps). Other 1000 W lamps are likely in use at container ship loading/unloading terminals and sports fields, although, without significant market research, we cannot estimate these numbers.

Regional Technical Potential:
0.09 TWh per year
11 aMW
What's this?

Regional Technical Potential of an Emerging Technology is calculated as follows:

Baseline Energy Use * Estimate of Energy Savings (either Typical savings OR the high range of savings) * Technical Potential (potential number of units replaced by the Emerging Technology)

First Cost: Currently no data available.

Cost Effectiveness:

Simple payback, new construction (years): N/A

Simple payback, retrofit (years): N/A

What's this?

Cost Effectiveness is calculated using baseline energy use, best estimate of typical energy savings, and first cost. It does not account for factors such as impacts on O&M costs (which could be significant if product life is greatly extended) or savings of non-electric fuels such as natural gas. Actual overall cost effectiveness could be significantly different based on these other factors.

Reference and Citations:

W.M. Waldbauer, 01/01/1959. Highway Lighting Without Glare -- A NewLighting Technique
National Technical Conference of the Illuminating Engineering Society
Special Notes: This article gives a few concepts worth exploring in trials of new products.

LEDs Magazine, 08/04/2011. Philips offers Gloucestershire Highways an LED lighting solution to reduce energy
LEDs Magazine

DOE, 02/20/2013. Model Specification for LED Roadway Luminaires
U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy

PG&E, 01/01/2008. Demonstration Assessment of Light Emitting Diode (LED) Street Lighting - Host Site: City of Oakland, California
U.S. Department of Energy

Maury Wright, 06/01/2012. LED modules bring energy savings to high-mast outdoor lighting
LEDs Magazine

Rank & Scores

LED "High-Mast" Highway Lighting

2012 LED Lighting TAG (#5)

Technical Advisory Group: 2012 LED Lighting TAG (#5)
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