This lighting revolution is already underway. It is being driven by advances in one technology: light-emitting diodes, or LEDs. LEDs are emblematic of the emerging Clean Revolution technologies, which promise minimal environmental impact, generate immense economic value, and have the power to change our lives for the better. And through outdoor lighting, one of the most important drivers of LED market growth today, this technology is coming to city streets and parks near you.

The LED revolution
LEDs are bringing a lighting revolution to our cities not seen since the days of Thomas Edison. The quantum dynamics that create light in the LED semiconductor represent as much of a technology step change as the move from candles to incandescent lamps in the 19th century.

LEDs offer advances in:

• Efficiency. Energy savings from 50% to 70% compared with conventional technologies result in similar cuts to carbon emissions.
• Controllability. Superior control over light color, intensity and direction allows novel lighting system designs that can deliver a wide range of social co-benefits. Outdoor LEDs offer improved visibility for pedestrians and traffic, as well as reduced light pollution. Indoor LED smart control systems have been shown to improve student behavior and study performance. And when smart controls allow LEDs to dynamically change lighting levels in response to conditions, total system energy savings can reach up to 80%.
• Lifespan. Well-designed LEDs are expected to last for 50,000 to 100,000 hours or more. Lifespans can be extended even further by coupling LEDs with smart controls.

Key findings include:

• LEDs achieve the expected 50 to 70% energy savings, and reach up to 80% savings when coupled with smart controls.
• Even with these energy savings, the vast majority of tested products exceeded local lighting standards.
• Many commercial LED products tested show behavior consistent with claimed lifespans of 50,000 to 100,000 hours, and LED products generally show very little change in color.
• The ‘catastrophic’ failure rate of LED products over 6,000 hours is around 1%, compared, for example, up to 10% for ceramic metal halide fixtures over a similar time period.8
• The public prefers LED products, and around 90% of survey respondents support a full rollout of LEDs across city street lights.

The Climate Group’s LightSavers trial concludes that LEDs are now mature enough for scale-up in most outdoor applications, and that LEDs combined with smart controls promise greater savings.

Report sponsor: PHILIPS LIGHTING
Supporter: HSBC CLIMATE PARTNERSHIP
Lightsavers partners: ADELAIDE, AUSTRALIA | HALDIA, INDIA | HONG KONG, CHINA | KOLKATA, INDIA | LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM | NEW YORK, UNITED STATES | QUEZON CITY, PHILIPPINES | SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA | THANE, INDIA | TORONTO, CANADA AND OBSERVERS GUIYANG AND TIANJIN, CHINA.