How to Choose the Optimal LED Street Lights for Your Project

Outdoor street lighting provides safety, security and attractive ambiance for roads, parking lots, pathways, public gathering areas and architectural spaces after dark. However, traditional street lighting can consume excessive energy while delivering poor lighting quality with excessive glare, light trespass and harsh contrast. Modern LED street lights resolve these issues through improved optics, control systems and energy efficiency. This article will explore key selection criteria and technology considerations to choose the ideal LED street lights for your public lighting needs.

Assessing Your Lighting Requirements

The first step is gaining a detailed understanding of your project’s lighting requirements:

  • Area size, road width, pole spacing, mounting height, overhead clearance
  • Illumination needs for sidewalks, roadways, signage, landscaping, architectural and security lighting
  • Obstructions from trees, buildings and other structures
  • Aesthetic goals for ambiance, architectural integration and heritage compatibility
  • Environmental factors including temperature range, winds, vibrations, marine environments
  • Control and monitoring capabilities like automated scheduling, dimming, maintenance alerts
  • Budget constraints and energy reduction targets
  • Local codes and standards for illumination, glare restriction, safety and color rendition

This information will guide selection of optimal luminaires, wattages, distributions, pole configuration and other aspects. Professional lighting designers can provide computer simulations to precisely calculate lighting performance.

Key Performance Attributes to Evaluate

LED street lights vary widely in the quality and control of illumination they provide. Look for models offering:

  • High luminous efficacy measured in lumens per watt – 100+ lm/W indicates efficient LEDs and optics
  • Appropriate color temperature between 2500K-4000K and a high color rendering index (CRI) for visual clarity
  • Asymmetric optical distributions to place light on the ground not in peoples’ eyes
  • Precision optics to control stray light, limiting light trespass and sky glow
  • Dimming capability to reduce output when full illumination not needed, saving energy
  • Field-adjustable optics to optimize illumination as requirements evolve
  • Photocell, occupancy sensing and wireless control compatibility for intelligent operation
  • Protection against surges, thermal cycling, shock, vibration and moisture ingress
  • Modular components for easy maintenance and upgrades

Luminaire Housings, Finishes and Hardware

The luminaire housing, hardware and finishes impact aesthetics, durability and installation:

  • Housing materials like aluminum, copper or plastics affect cost, weight, longevity and structural integrity
  • Ingress protection ratings like IP65 or IP66 resist entry of dust and moisture
  • Heat sinking properties and maximum ambient temperatures influence LED lifespan and performance
  • Mechanical design impacts resistance to vibration, impact and vandalism
  • Mounting adjustability allows aiming the distribution for optimal coverage
  • Finishes like powder coating, anodization and paint affect color stability, corrosion and wear protection
  • Latching/hinged doors, concealed fasteners and tamper-resistant screws enhance security and simplify maintenance
  • Prewired quick electrical disconnects simplify installation and replacement

Assessing Product Quality and Reliability

All LED street lights are not created equal. Seek models meeting industry certifications for quality and lifetime reliability:

  • LM-79 and LM-80 testing verifies photometric and electrical parameters along with long-term lumen maintenance
  • TM-21 analysis based on LM-80 data predicts lumen maintenance beyond 6,000 hours
  • IES LM-84 and TM-28 documents color consistency over product lifetime
  • Safety certifications include UL, CSA, CE, FCC interference compliance, and relevant ASTM specifications
  • Surge immunity rating per IEEE C62.41.2 guidelines
  • Vibration testing ensures survivability in high vibration installations like overpasses
  • NEMA 6 or IP66 ratings validate sealed housings for wet locations
  • AASHTO extreme wind ratings prove structural reliability
  • Check for 5-year or longer warranties backed by a trusted manufacturer

Assessing Sustainable Features

To support sustainability goals, analyze LED street light options for:

  • Energy savings over incumbent lighting like high-pressure sodium or mercury vapor
  • Low solar spectrum impact to minimize ecological disruption
  • Configurable dimming profiles to provide just enough light as needed
  • Photocell and occupancy controls to activate lighting only when required
  • High-efficiency LEDs, drivers and optics to maximize lumens per watt
  • Recyclable materials and responsible packaging
  • Light spectrum tuned to minimize blue wavelengths that affect circadian rhythms
  • Low emission of infrared and ultraviolet radiation

Additional Features to Consider

Specialized LED street lights offer expanded capabilities:

  • Adjustable color temperature to vary ambiance from warm to cool white as desired
  • RGBW tuning to create colorful light shows and event lighting
  • Uplights and wall grazing optics to highlight architectural details
  • Integrated sign or step lighting for additional visibility and safety
  • Built-in electrical receptacles to support seasonal displays and events
  • Occupancy, noise and air quality sensors to support smart city initiatives
  • Wireless networked controls enabling centralized management and analytics

Selecting the Right Manufacturer

Opt for LED street light manufacturers with:

  • Proven experience engineering both luminaires and LED arrays in-house
  • Extensive in-house testing facilities to validate photometric performance
  • Responsive customer support and technical assistance
  • Detailed product documentation, IES files, voltage maps and warranty terms
  • Flexible pricing and customization including intelligent controls
  • Convenient shipping locations and lead times

The best LED street light manufacturers act as partners rather than just suppliers, working closely with you to tailor solutions to your specific application requirements.

Positioning Your Organization to Succeed

To maximize success of an LED street lighting project:

  • Involve key internal stakeholders like city planners, traffic engineers, sustainability officers, first responders and maintenance teams
  • Align on performance criteria, use cases, operating models and success metrics
  • Conduct field evaluations of luminaires to experience quality of illumination firsthand
  • Consider pilot deployments to prove performance and fine-tune specifications
  • Model total lifecycle costs over 15-20 years, incorporating energy, maintenance and lighting control
  • Structure contracts to tie payments to verified energy and maintenance savings
  • Plan ahead for recycling old luminaires, batteries and components

LED Technology Still Evolving

The rapid pace of LED advancement enables breakthrough performance every few years. To future-proof installations:

  • Select established manufacturers who invest consistently in R&D
  • Prefer modular designs allowing upgrades or retrofits as new technologies emerge
  • Build in network connectivity and controls to enable over-the-air firmware/software updates
  • Structure financing and procurement to refresh portions of the system every 7-10 years

The Future of Connected Outdoor Lighting

LED street lights are consolidating with other smart city infrastructure to share space on poles and coordinate operations:

  • Adjust output based on data from air quality monitors to minimize sky glow under clear conditions
  • Integrate small cell 5G antennas for expanded wireless coverage
  • Host other vital IoT sensors like noise, traffic, security cameras and weather instruments
  • Provide charging for e-scooters, e-bikes and even e-vehicles
  • Enable digital art, advertising and public video displays
  • Support edge computing needs for real-time data processing
  • Offer public WiFi service around light poles and city squares
  • Facilitate autonomous vehicle navigation systems with positioning beacons

By selecting forward-thinking LED street lights supported by responsive, experienced manufacturers, cities can deploy adaptive lighting infrastructure to meet both today’s and tomorrow’s needs. Investments in well-designed LED street lighting deliver lower operating costs, reduced carbon emissions, improved visibility and public perception, and enhanced quality of life across communities.

Here are some potential FAQs based on the article:

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the benefits of LED street lights?

LEDs offer energy efficiency, long life, better light control, flexible optics, wireless controls, and sustainability.

What factors should be considered when selecting LED street lights?

Key factors include illumination requirements, regulations, aesthetics, mounting, durability, controls, and budget.

What lighting performance attributes should be evaluated?

Evaluate efficacy, color properties, optical distributions, dimming, adjustability, surge protection, and modular components.

How do housing, finishes and hardware impact street light selection?

These factors affect aesthetics, durability, heat management, vibrations, adjustability, corrosion resistance, and ease of installation/maintenance.

What certifications validate LED street light quality and reliability?

Relevant certifications include LM-79, LM-80, TM-21, LM-84, UL, CE, IP66, AASHTO, and long warranties.

What sustainable features should LED street lights offer?

Look for energy savings, low ecological impact, dimming, photocell control, high-efficiency components, and recyclable materials.

What additional features may be beneficial?

Added capabilities can include color tuning, uplights, receptacles, sensors, and wireless networked controls.

How to select the right LED street light manufacturer?

Seeks manufacturers with LED and optics expertise, testing facilities, documentation, flexible customization, and responsive support.

How can cities maximize success of LED street lighting projects?

Strategies include stakeholder involvement, lifecycle cost analysis, field evaluations, pilots, performance contracting, and recycling planning.

How can cities future-proof LED street light deployments?

Options include manufacturers with consistent R&D, modular designs, networked controls, and periodic upgrades.

What is the future of connected outdoor lighting?

LED street lights will consolidate smart city sensors, WiFi, EV charging, digital displays, 5G, and navigation beacons.