LED Bollards
Outdoor Bollard (Post) Lighting: LED vs. CFL
Low post, ground-mounted walkway lighting employing LED technology.
Synopsis:
Bollards provide localized lighting for pedestrians on walkways and other public walking areas, such as in parks and campuses. They also function as security lighting for the surrounding area. Conventional light sources used in bollards are high-pressure sodium, metal halide and compact fluorescent lights. Bollards using LED light sources are becoming more widely available, providing equivalent lighting with significantly reduced energy consumption.
Outdoor lighting luminaires employing LED technology are widely available from a number of manufacturers. The U.S. Department of Energy (USDOE) is encouraging research, development and market penetration of the technology, and is providing resources for developing objective, updated information about the technology. Both the DOE LED Lighting Facts program and the Design Lights Consortium Qualified Products List have an LED bollard category.
Energy savings over traditional bollards may be significant — up to 30-75%, depending on design light levels, technology, and controls. LEDs are particularly well suited to operate with automatic controls such as occupancy sensors, which allow light output and power consumption to be reduced during periods of low occupancy. Lamp life could be significantly longer than other systems in use, making LED bollards especially good in hard-to-access locations. The white light is available in a range of color temperatures. Light distribution can be more precisely controlled -- often providing more uniformity -- than other technologies. Additionally, the USDOE predicts continued significant improvement in efficacy and decline in price for LED lighting.
Energy Savings: 40%
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. |
Simple Payback is one tool used to estimate the cost-effectiveness of a proposed investment, such as the investment in an energy efficient technology. Simple payback indicates how many years it will take for the initial investment to "pay itself back." The basic formula for calculating a simple payback is:
Simple Payback = Incremental First Cost / Annual Savings
The Incremental Cost is determined by subtracting the Baseline First Cost from the Measure First Cost.
For New Construction, the Baseline First Cost is the cost to purchase the standard practice technology. The Measure First Cost is the cost of the alternative, more energy efficienct technology. Installation costs are not included, as it is assumed that installation costs are approximately the same for the Baseline and the Emerging Technology.
For Retrofit scenarios, the Baseline First Cost is $0, since the baseline scenario is to leave the existing equipment in place. The Emerging Technology First Cost is the Measure First Cost plus Installation Cost (the cost of the replacement technology, plus the labor cost to install it). Retrofit scenarios generally have a higher First Cost and longer Simple Paybacks than New Construction scenarios.
Simple Paybacks are called "simple" because they do not include details such as the time value of money or inflation, and often do not include operations and maintenance (O&M) costs or end-of-life disposal costs. However, they can still provide a powerful tool for a quick assessment of a proposed measure. These paybacks are rough estimates based upon best available data, and should be treated with caution. For major financial decisions, it is suggested that a full Lifecycle Cost Analysis be performed which includes the unique details of your situation.
The energy savings estimates are based upon an electric rate of $.09/kWh, and are calculated by comparing the range of estimated energy savings to the baseline energy use. For most technologies, this results in "Typical," "Fast" and "Slow" payback estimates, corresponding with the "Typical," "High" and "Low" estimates of energy savings, respectively.