| It’s not hard to pick up a trade paper and read about yet another demonstration of street lighting using LEDs. Of course, one reason for all of these demonstrations is the federal stimulus money. We, as both citizens and participants of the solid-state lighting (SSL) industry, should all ask, “What are we getting for our investment?” We should all demand, “Show me the data!” Show me the data verifying energy savings. Show me the data proving that LED lighting is equivalent to or better than traditional lighting. Show me the data that LED street lights are reliable.
At Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI), LEDs are a small part of a much bigger initiative targeted at reducing global carbon emissions. Advancing a portion of that initiative, EPRI is managing over twenty demonstrations of LED lighting technologies at sites located around the country. In this demonstration process, the focus is on accumulating “more and better data” and enhancing the collection of field data. Although data collection at EPRI’s demonstration sites is ongoing, this article provides some early conclusions, conclusions that you may find surprising or that at least make you say, “Hmmm.”
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This article was published in the March 2011 issue of LEDs Magazine. To read the full version of this article, please visit our magazine page, where you can download FREE electronic PDF versions of all issues of LEDs Magazine. You can also request a print copy of LEDs Magazine (available by paid subscription) and sign up for our free weekly email newsletter. |
