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LED Use in Outdoor & Parking Applications to Rise

Outdosfra_large zoom outdoor lightingor lighting systems are a major contributor to global energy use. Today, this market segment is dominated by fluorescent, high-pressure sodium, and metal halide lamps.

Over the next 10 years, however, light-emitting diodes (LEDs) will become the leading lamp type for outdoor installations. According to a new report from Navigant Research, worldwide shipments of luminaires with LED lamps for outdoor and parking applications will grow from 4.1 million annually in 2014 to nearly 14 million in 2023.

“LED outdoor area luminaires must compete with existing technologies that are relatively energy efficient and low cost, making lifetime cost savings more challenging in a market led by retrofits and replacements,” says Jesse Foote, senior research analyst with Navigant Research.

“With LED prices continuing to fall, however, the case for replacing today’s most prevalent lighting technologies is becoming more and more compelling.”

The growth of smart city initiatives is also driving outdoor lighting systems to become increasingly sophisticated, according to the report. Smart lighting systems can make decisions in real time; a networked light in a city park, for example, can detect when an individual lamp burns out and immediately schedule a maintenance crew visit.

Many companies in the lighting sector now refer to themselves as being at the center of the Internet of Things, rather than as pure-play lighting companies.

The report, Outdoor and Parking Lighting Systems, analyzes the global market opportunity for outdoor luminaires, lamps, and lighting controls in the following end-use applications: city parks and public areas, sports parks and stadiums, commercial site lighting, open air parking lots, indoor parking garages, and university and college campuses.

The report provides a comprehensive assessment of the demand drivers, business models, policy and regulatory factors, and technology issues associated with the global market for these products. Key industry players are profiled in depth, and worldwide revenue and unit shipment forecasts, segmented by nine product types and five major geographic regions, extend through 2023.

An Executive Summary of the report is available for free download on the Navigant Research website.

About Navigant Research

Navigant Research, the dedicated research arm of Navigant, provides market research and benchmarking services for rapidly changing and often highly regulated industries. In the energy sector, Navigant Research focuses on in-depth analysis and reporting about global clean technology markets. The team’s research methodology combines supply-side industry analysis, end-user primary research and demand assessment, and deep examination of technology trends to provide a comprehensive view of the Smart Energy, Smart Utilities, Smart Transportation, and Smart Buildings sectors. Additional information can be found at www.navigantresearch.com.

About Navigant

Navigant is a specialized, global expert services firm dedicated to assisting clients in creating and protecting value in the face of critical business risks and opportunities. Through senior level engagement with clients, Navigant professionals combine technical expertise in Disputes and Investigations, Economics, Financial Advisory and Management Consulting, with business pragmatism in the highly regulated Construction, Energy, Financial Services and Healthcare industries to support clients in addressing their most critical business needs. More information can be found at www.navigant.com.

2015 named as the International Year of Light

iyl2015On 20 December 2013, The United Nations (UN) General Assembly 68th Session proclaimed 2015 as the International Year of Light and Light-based Technologies (IYL 2015).

Why is this important? By making the proclamation that 2015 will be recognized as the International Year of Light, the United Nations has essentially recognized the importance of raising world-wide awareness of the role of light-based technologies in sustainable development.

New approaches to lighting can provide solutions to global challenges in energy, education, agriculture and health. Light plays a vital role in our daily lives, and light science cross-cuts almost every scientific discipline in the 21st century.

The activities of IYL 2015 will be structured around four broad thematic subject areas containing elements of sustainability, education and history:

  • Science of Light
  • Light Technology
  • Light in Nature
  • Light and Culture

Read more in this message from the President of the European Physical Society that explains more about each theme.

IYL 2015 will bring together many stakeholders including UNESCO, scientific societies and unions, educational and research institutions, technology platforms, non-profit organizations and private sector professionals to promote and celebrate the significance of light and its applications during 2015.

Read more and become involved with activities in your area through the official IYL 2015 Blog. You can also read the full UN Resolution here.

Photo credits: Robert Gutmann, Timo Frey, Natascha Micieli – University of Applied Sciences Offenburg

Have You Seen Downtown ABQ’s New Color-Changing LEDs? [VIDEO]

Chris Olson, Vice President of Generation at PNM, cutting the ribbon to kick-off the lighting of downtown Albuquerque’s new color-changing LEDs (Photo: Laurie Dudasik)
Chris Olson, Vice President of Generation at PNM, cutting the ribbon to kick-off the lighting of downtown Albuquerque’s new color-changing LEDs (Photo: Laurie Dudasik)

 

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In an effort to help revitalize the culture and excitement in downtown Albuquerque, new energy-efficient LEDs are now lighting up Central Avenue from 3rd through 5th St.

On the night of Friday, June 6, a ribbon cutting ceremony took place at the Route-66 crossroads at 4th and Central. Many were in attendance, including representatives from the City of Albuquerque, PNMand the non-profit group DowntownABQ Mainstreet.

The goal of the project was to illuminate downtown with color-changing lights while celebrating the historic Route-66 legacy. The LED lighting designs are part of a group initiative by Downtown ABQ Mainstreet and PNM to bridge the iconic symbolism of our past (historic downtown) with the future and all of its possibilities (like new energy-efficient LED technologies).

 

It was important to the team that the lights change color to match the other designs that utilize color-changing lights like those along Central and the railroad tracks, along the Big-I, Nob-Hill and more.

“We really wanted the lights to change color for the holidays, too,” said Mary Collins, President of Downtown Albuquerque Mainstreet and Director of Strategic Initiatives within the Marketing and Communications Department of the Public Policy Group at PNM.

PNM provided $122,000 to mainstreet projects across the state of New Mexico to help merge energy-efficiency with preservation, while attempting to revitalize main street areas for increased economic improvements.

 

“These are actually LEDs, so they’re super cool – pun intended” – Gary Oppedahl, Director of Economic Development for the City of Albuquerque

DowntownABQ Mainstreet hopes that they can raise enough funding to fully complete the LEDs along Central Avenue and extend them from 1st through 8th street before August – just in time forDowntown Summer Fest.

If you would like to learn more about Downtown Albuquerque Mainstreet or become involved with their revitalization initiative, I encourage you to check out their website and get active!
Also, be sure to check out PNMenergyefficiency.com to learn about the ways that PNM is helping to shape New Mexico into a modern energy-efficient economy.

The First Autonomous Solar and Wind Energy Public Lighting System

150120085819-largeThis system, developed after four years of research, is designed for inter-urban roads, motorways, urban parks and other public areas. It is unique in the world and reduces the cost by 20% compared with conventional public lighting systems.

Ramon Bargalló is a researcher belonging to the Department of Electrical Engineering at the Barcelona College of Industrial Engineering (EUETIB) of the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (UPC). In collaboration with the company Eolgreen, he has developed the first autonomous industrialized public lighting system that works with solar and wind energy.

The prototype is 10 meters high and is fitted with a solar panel, a wind turbine and a battery. The turbine runs at a speed of 10 to 200 revolutions per minute (rpm) and has a maximum output of 400 watts (W). The developers’ aim is to make the lighting system even more environmentally efficient, so work is being done on a second prototype generator that runs at a lower speed (10 to 60 rpm) and has a lower output (100 W). An electronic control system manages the flow of energy between the solar panel, the wind turbine, the battery and the light.

 

“It takes very little wind to produce energy. The generator that has been developed can start working at a wind speed of only 1.7 metres per second (m/s), whereas current wind turbines need more than 2.5 m/s,” says Ramon Bargalló. “This low intensity can provide six nights of electricity without wind or sun,” he adds.

To date, Eolgreen has signed agreements with the port of Huelva and the municipal authorities of Sant Boi de Llobregat, Girona and several towns in Andalusia. In the course of 2015, the company plans to produce 700 of these street lights.