Dec. 06, 2023
Lights & Lighting
Want to know which type of lamp is the best for your street lighting project? What’s the best light bulb alternative for your existing fixture? Here’s a complete guide.
Isn’t it great that street lights have been fundamental in creating the mood in each film we watch? Yes, you heard that right. In fact, Hollywood spends a large chunk of time, energy and money creating the perfect illumination for each movie scene.
Lights are definitely worth the effort and time to spend on. So whether you’re designing your patio or garden with outdoor lights, or trying to light up a whole neighborhood or highway with street lights, it’s worth knowing if you use the right type of lamp.
There are many types of light bulbs used in different lighting fixtures. Some are exclusively used for specific outdoor lighting applications, while others can be generic and can be used in wider range of applications.
Read on as we uncover each type of street light bulb, arranged from the earliest to the latest invention.
Incandescent light bulbs for street lights are currently being faced out and replaced with newer energy efficient lighting solutions. This type of light was invented in 1879 by the famous Thomas Edison and was used to replace arc lamps.
Although not very advisable to use, some towns still use this type of light bulb as it brings a nostalgic effect of the “old time” when people went through the so called “Period of Change”.
https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/colorado-street-bridge-pasadena-california-usa-609715691
As you can see, it’s still very quaint and decorative, yet they are actually not very practical for street lighting. Let’s dig a little deeper as to why that is.
Incandescent street light bulbs use tungsten-halogen filament which are commonly used in theaters and stadiums. They have high efficiency, brightness and good color rendition, but their lifespan is shorter than other types of bulbs.
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https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/fluorescent-light-automatic-turn-on-during-623591654
It was in the 1940’s that fluorescent light bulbs for street lights became popular. You can easily distinguish an old fluorescent light bulb by its tubular form.
This type of street light bulb encases a metal electrode in both ends. Inside the tube, it contains mercury and argon gasses which help ignite the lamp. In effect, fluorescent street light bulbs create strong ultraviolet rays, but the visible light is weak.
In general, they are more efficient than incandescent bulbs, but emits strong ultraviolet radiation. Hence, they are not very economical and environmental.
Their lifespan ranges from 7,500 hours to 20,000 hours.
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Almost after a decade when fluorescent street lights were released, mercury vapor light bulbs were developed for street lights. It stood as a significant improvement to the old incandescent lamp and fluorescent lamp as well.
Today, you can find a few mercury vapor street lights, as most of them were replaced with the more efficient sodium lamps for street lighting.
An older version of the mercury vapor light can be easily distinguished with its bluish-green illumination and people seem to dislike it because of this.
Newer versions were known as “color corrected” lamps as their designs are improved with phosphor to produce more white light.
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High Pressure Sodium (HPS) lamps are one of the most common bulbs for street lights in existence today. They produce white light through a mixture of different gases and they are highly preferred because of less maintenance.
Aside from this, they are also more efficient than the earlier light bulb versions. HPS also produces yellow-orange illumination.
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Low pressure sodium (LPS) lamps are like the HPS lamps, but instead of illuminating white light, they emit exclusively warm or yellow light.
LPS lamps are highly efficient as compared with its predecessors, but it also takes a few minutes before turning on. The color of the light is purely yellow-orange.
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Image source: Wikipedia-Metal Halide
What’s good about a metal halide light bulb is that it emits true white light, meaning they are highly suitable for wider areas such as a sports field. Metal halide has been popular for many street lighting installations and are more preferred over mercury lamps.
They’ve also been used in many retrofit applications and are available in many wattages (50, 70, 100, 175, 250, 400, and 1000 watts). Metal halide can survive up to 10,000 to 12,000 hours on average.
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This type of street light bulb is an improvement of the metal halide lamp.
It was designed to replace HPS and mercury vapor lamps at it produces clearer light with improved CRI (78–96).
It also produces better color retention. CDM lamps are far better than tungsten filament incandescent bulbs in terms of efficiency (80 to 117 LM/Watts).
The good thing about an Induction Lamp is it has a long lifespan and is energy efficient. This type of street light bulb was developed by Nikola Tesla and is promised to render higher color rendering index and color temperature than Thomas Edison’s incandescent light. Its downside however, is that it cannot work properly in high temperatures (35 degrees Celsius and above).
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CFL street lights are still common today, despite of the emerging solar LED street lights. CFL bulbs mimic the physical feature of the incandescent bulb, but internally, they operate like fluorescent bulbs.
Hence, they are more compact than the traditional fluorescent lamp. You can easily distinguish CFL lights with their tubular loops.
CFL lights are used in many commercial building lighting and perimeter street lighting. They produce the same amount of light like the fluorescent bulb, but consumes less power. Compared with incandescent bulbs, CFLs have a longer lifespan (10,000 hours).
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An LED street light bulb is the most energy efficient option for outdoor lighting solutions. Not only does it have an extremely long lifespan (50,000 hours), but it also does not emit toxic chemicals like mercury lamps.
Today, LED is the preferred type of lighting for solar street lights and integrated solar street lights, than CFL lights. It has a high lighting efficiency of about 80 LM/watt unlike traditional street lights with only 58 LM/watt.
An LED lamp produces blue/white light. There are a lot of benefits when you use LED compared with the other types of bulbs. For one, it is easy to turn on as warm up is not needed. It also doesn’t produce ultraviolet rays.
LED lights can also be used to direct light. They can also be controlled by dimming unlike CFL lights. LED lights are also used in smart solar street lights, where automatic brightness and dimming occurs depending on set lighting controls for the street light.
What’s more, LED lights require less maintenance and are cost effective in the long run.
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Cons
Phosphor-converted amber or PCA LED lights have just been released 3 years ago. They are new on the market. PCA LED promises a highly efficient lighting solution with good color rendition. The only downside is its price as they are currently expensive.
Unlike traditional LED, PCA LED is a monochromatic amber light that produces yellowish glow. It is very pleasing to the eyes, and has a higher lighting efficiency.
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Narrow-Band Amber (NBA) LED street light bulb is a new LED innovation. It emits yellow or a warm color, rather than the traditional LED color (blueish-white).
NBA LED is promised to render good quality color, so as not to make illuminated things look grey (like LPS lamps). Currently, it is high-priced but are very energy efficient.
Just so you can understand how to specify a certain street light brightness specification for your project, we will explain in the following section how.
As you might know, we used to buy traditional light bulbs according to their wattage. The higher the wattage, the brighter it is. But for today’s standards, this particular measurement method became meaningless after the invention of LED’s.
Today, if you want to specify a bulb’s brightness, you should refer to its lumens. Lumens is simply the LED unit of measurement for its brightness. It does not refer to how much energy it consumes like how we refer to an old lamp’s wattage.
Below, you will find a conversion table that specifies the amount of lumens needed to convert an incandescent bulb into its alternative bulbs such as CFL, Metal Halide or HPS and LED. You may find this useful when you want to replace an existing incandescent fixture or metal halide fixture to an LED street lamp.
Lumens Needed
(LM)
Power Draw in Watts
Incandescent
CFL Metal Halide/HPSLED
4,500-6,000
250
65
100
30-40
6,000
300
80
125
40
7,500-9,000
400
100
150
50-60
9,000
450
125
175
60
11,250-12,000
500
150
250
75-80
15,000
600
175
Recommended article:320
100
18,000-22,500
1000
300
400
120-150
36,000-45,000
2000
500
750
240-300
45,000
N/A
N/A
1000
300
67,500
N/A
N/A
1500
450
90,000
N/A
N/A
2000
600
This means that if you want to replace a 250 Watts Incandescent Bulb with an LED light, you must look for a 4000 lumens LED with a specified 30 to 40 Watts of power draw.
To give you an idea of how much each type of street light bulb would cost you and how much to operate over a lifespan of 50,000 hours (about 11 years at 12 hours street light usage per day), you may refer to the table below.
Incandescent Bulb Fluorescent Lamp HPS LPS Metal Halide CFL LEDLifespan (hours)
1,200
14,000
25,000
18,000
10,000
10,000
50,000
Watts per bulb
250
65
100
100
100
65
30
Typical Upfront Cost
$1 to $6
$2 to $15
$8 to $20
$7 to $20
$5 to $15
$5 to $20
$10 to $40
No. of Bulbs Needed
for 50,000 Hours Of Use
42
4
2
3
5
5
1
Total purchase price over 11 years
42
8
16
21
25
25
10
Total cost of electricity used for 11 years (50,000 hours at $0.12 per kWh)
$1,500
$390
$600
$600
$600
$390
180
Total Operation Cost for 11 years $1,542 $398 $616 $621 $625 $415$190
And as you can see, upfront, LED lights cost more, but in the long run, you can save more.
We hope this article has given you an idea on which type of street light bulb to use for your outdoor lighting project, or at least, has given you some basic know-hows in purchasing street lights.
In general, LED lights are the best option for general-purpose street lighting. They are the most energy efficient, with the longest lifespan and with no harmful carbon emissions. They are basically the best type of light for solar street lights as well.
If you want to find affordable and high quality options for solar LED street lights, look no further. HeiSolar can provide you with the latest, eco-friendly solar street light solutions with high-quality LED lights from Cree and Bridgelux. You may visit our website or contact us for more information.
Sources: Street Lighting and its Basics, History of Street Lighting in the United States, Types of Lights, Type of Street Light Lamp, Street lighting and General Illumination Options, 5 Different Types of Light Bulbs, Street Lighting and Urban Design, Lighting Comparisons, Outdoor Fluorescent Lamps
More and more cities have taken to install LED street lights, intending to boost security with stunning finishes to light up the night sky. However, some manufacturers fail to produce the lighting they claim their products generate. That’s why you must be mindful of each LED street light manufacturer and make sure you get the best quality for your money.
There are two key things to look for from an LED street light :
If you’re still unsure of what LED streets lights to consider, here are five of the best products on the market to choose from.
If you want the best LED lighting output for your neighborhood, then consider the fact that the Lepro 100W LED parking lot outdoor light offers 13,000 lumens of 5000K bright high-powered white light. Similar to what you’d see with a 300W metal halide lamp, these lights use energy-efficient LED chips that will save you up to 67% in costs.
It’s designed with the dusk-to-dawn photocell sensor, which can automatically recognize the variations of light strength and turn on and off the light. If you’re looking for a bright light without considerable cost, this is the one to consider.
The manufacturer has designed the LED light to ensure the following:
Besides the 100W lights, Lepro has come up with a high-wattage LED light that can be installed at larger commercial venues such as stadiums, roads, sidewalks, parking lots, etc.
While many LED street lights don’t make the grade for lighting efficiency, the LEDMO 200W LED Street Parking Lot Lights is not one of them. The manufacturer has made sure it stands out with its dusk-to-dawn photocell sensor, allowing it to detect when the light should turn on or off. Due to its hollowed-out heat sink design, it’s lighter to hold (less than 15 pounds), and the heat is better dissipated. Since its 200W, it offers 26,000 lumens. It’s a high-quality, environmentally-friendly lamp, producing no UV or IR radiation.
This LED light is waterproof and can be adjusted in any direction.
The manufacturer provides a five-year warranty should any unforeseen problems come up, helping to extend its lifespan.
The LEONITE barn light’s brightness and glow are similar to a 60W incandescent lamp. The manufacturer designed its casing to better withstand corrosion, with an IP65 waterproof rating and dissipates heat better while ensuring the lamp operates efficiently and effectively. It’s got a lifespan of 50,000 hours and is both DLC and ETL listed.
The manufacturer announced buyers should install the barn lamp at a height between 19 and 27 feet high, so its coverage will range from about 50 to 90-feet in diameter.
The BBOUNDER Barn Light proves it’s a top contender when it comes to LED lighting. The manufacturer uses IP67-rated water and dust-proof casing that ensures it’ll work even when it’s raining heavily. It’s got a side-mounted photocell away from the mounting bracket and is affixed. If you plan to face the light north, this could be problematic.
It’s DLC and ETL compliant and can last up to 50,000 hours. It also gives off 9800lm.
There is one complaint people have with this light. There is no arms or brackets that allows a person to mount the light on a pole. For pole mounting, you’ll need to purchase both an arm and bracket.
The STASUN LED street light is one a kind in that the manufacturer has included a shadow-free, anti-glare feature with highly-efficient lighting that helps users reduce their electricity bills. The manufacturer has installed Cree LED Chips with 30CREE LEDs capable of generating about 13,500lm. Thanks to this product, a person can save nearly 88% of their electrical bill.
The manufacturer realized that people look for products that will last them a long time. This is why it designed the LED lights with shock-resistant PC lens and used a strong die-cast aluminum. It’s not just to maintain its durability but also to help with heat expenditure. The lens is made of an impact-resistant polycarbonate that keeps water, dust and other debris out.
This light has a dense aluminum plate that helps heat efficiently dissipate.
What makes the Gebosun LED street light different from many other LED lights is its non-dependence on solar energy. It will turn on at dusk and shut off when the sun comes up.
Its output is approximately 9200 lumens with an input of 100-277V AC. Simply put, it can save users a ton in energy costs. It’s an alternative to the HID 200-250W light. The light is bright enough to lighten typically dark areas such as yard, street, garage, pathway, etc. The manufacturer ensured that this high-quality product came with instructions and accessories for safe use. Other reasons to consider this product for your lighting needs:
Along with an FCC and UL rating, Gebosun provides a five-year warranty.
The lamp casing of the ENGREPO Solar Street Lights comprises of very robust die-cast aluminum, with an IP67 waterproof rating to ensure it can stand up to any kind of weather. The manufacturer also saw fit to install a photoelectric sensor. The light turns on automatically when it can no longer sense light and turns off when it senses light returning.
What makes this LED light unique is that it can be operated via remote from more than 30 feet away from it. Avoid using the on/off switch to keep the lights on longer, as this action causes faster damage to the batteries. By doing so, it can last over 2,000 cycles.
There are two ways to operate the Lovus 100W Solar Street Lights – either by remote, forcing the switch, adjusting the brightness and timing or allowing it to automatically detect the light or darkness.
Its large solar panels and high-powered LED energy-saving chip provides enough light for up to 12 hours. The solar lights are not dependent on the solar panel.
There is one thing to be mindful of. Unlike other LED street lights, this one is made from plastic, making heat dissipation problematic. On the upside, it has an IP65 rain-resistant rating.
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