Lighting the Great Outdoors: LEDs in Exterior Applications

Panel: Strategies for Appliances, Lighting, Electronics, and Miscellaneous End–Uses

Authors:
Tyson Cook, Energy Solutions
Mary Bryan, Pacific Gas and Electric Company
Bruce Kinzey, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory
Michael Myer, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory

Abstract

Recent progress in the development of white light LEDs promises great impact by opening up the huge potential for LED illumination in new areas. One such area is general illumination for exterior applications. For example, there are an estimated combined 60.5 million roadway and parking installations in the U.S. These lights account for an estimated 53.3 TWh of electricity usage annually -- nearly 7% of all lighting. If LEDs could provide the same light performance with just 25% greater efficiency, savings of over 13 TWh could be achieved.

In 2007, the authors assessed emerging LED lighting technologies in a parking garage and on a city street. The purpose of these tests was to enable a utility to determine whether energy efficiency programs promoting white light LED products might be justified. The results have supported the great promise of LEDs in exterior applications, while also highlighting the barriers that continue to hinder their widespread adoption. Such barriers include 1) inconsistent product quality across manufacturers; 2) lack of key metrics for comparing LEDs to conventional sources; and 3) high upfront cost of LED luminaires compared to conventional luminaires.

This paper examines these barriers, ways in which energy-efficiency programs could help to overcome them, and the potential for energy and financial savings from LED lighting in these two exterior applications