Technology Research Area:

LEDs for Street and Area Lighting

Why might LEDs be used for street lighting, and what does that have to do with TVA's mission?

Costs for street and area lighting continue to go up as energy and labor costs rise. Costs might be reduced by replacing older outdoor lighting systems that use magnetically-ballasted high-intensity discharge fixtures. While these fixtures have long lamp life, they are not energy efficient.

New light-emitting-diode (LED) technology may offer a way to save energy, an important concern in the power generation business, and also reduce service visits to change bulbs.

Government regulations are forcing utilities to develop a replacement strategy for older mercury vapor lighting and probe start metal halide lighting. LED-based lighting is expensive, but has shown the potential to lower energy use 67 percent and lower maintenance costs as well.

What is TVA doing about this technology?

TVA is part of a multi-year research project in the TVA region, with demonstrations of LED lighting underway at Knoxville, Cookeville, Camden and Chattanooga.The Electric Power Research Institute is conducting similar evaluations at the same time in other parts of the country.

Based on this research, best practices are being developed to help TVA, power distributors and consumers better manage the quality of outdoor lighting systems. To enable meaningful comparisons, all the demonstrations are using a similar evaluation and deployment process.

The research will allow participating distributors of TVA power to make fact-based choices from real experience with LED outdoor lighting. Other power distributors will have the opportunity to see and show customers LED demonstration sites in their region. Manufacturers will receive feedback on power system compatibility. Hard data will demonstrate whether the LEDs live up to their promise.

What are the possibilities for the use of LEDs in street lighting?

If LEDs live up to their potential, their use would provide street lighting that shows colors that closely match daytime lighting, lowers energy consumption, lowers maintenance costs and reduces light pollution.