LED lighting is widely known for its features of energy saving, long life and sustainability, making it perfect for city lighting. Communities around the world have chosen to install LED lights to save cost and to increase the well-being of people.

In the U.S., with the Regional Streetlight Procurement Program, 35 municipalities in Southeastern Pennsylvania decided to replace the outdoor lights to LEDs for saving energy and most importantly, money. As local governments spend around over half of the energy budgets on lighting, converting 95 percent of the lighting into LED light fixtures will save a total of US$1.4 million annually in energy and operating cost.

Another city in the U.S., The Wichita Falls City in Texas also implements LED street lights to reduce cost and impacts on environment. The city council cooperated with Ameresco, a renewable energy company to convert more than 5,000 roadway lights into LED system. The estimated lifetime for the new LED lights is over 20 years and they could diminish electricity consumption by 2.85 million kilowatt-hours each year. The installation will also reduce chemical wastes of carbon dioxide, sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides.

In off-grid communities, LED giant Signify provides solutions with its solar street light products, Philips SunStay and Philips LifeLight, as safer lighting options.

(Image: Signify; left: Philips LifeLight; right:Philips SunStay)

Philips SunStay is an integrated solar street light combining solar panel, luminaire, charge controller and battery. It delivers an output of 2,000 and 3,000 lumens and an efficacy of 175 lm/W. On the other hand, Philips LifeLights, a solar lantern integrated with a USB port for charging phones and other devices, is designed for people in off-grid communities to feel safer after dark and provide low cost light sources for studying and extending commercial activity at night.

According to the report of the World Health Organization, using wood fire, candle and kerosene for lighting and cooking at home causes nearly 4 million deaths each year. Solar powered lighting provides an option to solve the issue. Harsh Chitale, Business Group Leader Professional at Signify, said, "Solar-powered lighting saves lives and is a lifeline for off-grid communities. Street lighting powered by the sun is one of the fastest growing segments in public lighting and the most sustainable."