In the U.S., the city of Raleigh, North Carolina, has completed its first outdoor lighting project that combines light emitting diode (LED) technology with solar renewable energy in place of traditional electricity.

Progress Solar Solutions, the City's contractor on the project, LLC of Apex, installed the solar-powered lighting at the City Parks and Recreation Department's Marsh Creek remote operations facility near New Hope Road and Daly Road.

"The City of Raleigh is very excited about the implementation of its first solar LED lighting project," said City Building Superintendent Billy Jackson, whose staff oversaw installation of the solar LED light systems. "The Marsh Creek location provides a good opportunity to capitalize on the solar LED lighting technology due to the savings acquired for wiring infrastructure. The location also will provide an excellent opportunity to document the effectiveness of the new technology."

The 16 new high-performance solar LED light systems at the Marsh Creek remote operations facility generate brilliant white lighting. Each light is totally independent, and each pole has a solar array to harvest unlimited free energy from the sun, which is then stored in long-life, no-maintenance batteries. Each light has an internal controller that manages the solar energy storage and usage. The internal controller also automatically turns the lights on in the evening and off at daybreak; or can be programmed to control the lights at other timed intervals.

"Energy costs for municipalities can be significant," said Julian Prosser, assistant city manager for the City of Raleigh. "Our sustainability team is a strong advocate of adopting proven, high-performance technologies that can save local taxpayers on energy costs and at the same time protect the environment by reducing carbon emissions. We are excited about the opportunity to move to a cost-effective, renewable energy alternative. It seems like a win-win for everyone."

Dan Robertson, a partner with Progress Solar Solutions, agreed. The City of Raleigh awarded Progress Solar Solutions the bid to install the solar LED light systems at the Marsh Creek remote operations.

Raleigh was officially recognized as a "LED City" in 2007 when it installed 141 LED light fixtures on the third level of the municipal parking garage at the Avery C. Upchurch Government Complex in Downtown Raleigh. The City also has installed 23 LED streetlights on public streets surrounding the Raleigh Convention Center, in the underground Convention Center Parking Deck, and in the Cree Shimmer Wall on the west face of the convention center.