Street Lights for my driveway

[EddieWalker]

I already have four High Pressure Sodium lights on my driveway and don't mind the color at all. If I went with LED, it would mean changing out those four along with buying the three more that I need to finish it off.

NothingButSavings.com - Search Results for "Heath Zenith 150Watt High Pressure Sodium Industrial Grade Security Light with DusktoDawn Control Bronze" Zenith 150Watt High Pressure Sodium Industrial Grade Security Light with DusktoDawn Control Bronze

I found these on Amazon and they look just like what I already have. I then searched for the same model number and found them for $20 cheaper on this site with free shipping. Anybody heard of this website?

Eddie

 

[CobyRupert]

Lamp type data: (Type, watts, lumens, lifespan. Doesn't include LED's as they're new and evolving) View attachment Lampdata.pdf

 

[ultrarunner]

I'm a big fan of LED lights and how much they have improved recently. From what I'm reading, they are just not ready to compete with High Pressure Sodium lights for the amount of light you get for the same amount of electricity used or how long they last. At this time, the technology seems to be to stick with the High Pressure Sodium Lights and when they need to be replaced, look at it again to see if LED or something else has come along that is better.

Thank you,
Eddie

Hey Eddie...

Oakland changed all of it's street lights to LED last year for huge energy savings...

I've been around long enough that this is the 4th street light Head change for me...

The last go round the color changed from an orange cast to white and there were some complaints as the light being harsh... funny thing is when the city did the previous change to orange there were also complaints.

One thing I noticed right away is the light is very directional... it is rectangular in shape and covers the streets and sidewalks...

Now, I'm at the end of a court and the street light is at the end... the light casts into my driveway and my vehicles are fully illuminated... which is probably good for security...

 

[breadtrk]

If you are lighting a driveway, not an interstate exchange, I wouldn't care too much about light color or really too much about intensity. Go LED from a brand name and be done with it.

Reflectors also work really well with car headlights, you know, like 95% or the roads we drive on every night and speeds 10 times faster?

 

[EddieWalker]

I keep reading about all the energy savings, but then when figuring out the cost of the fixture to get half the amount of light, that isn't rated to last as long, I go back to HPS. For those commercial LED lights that put out the same amount of light, the cost is quite a bit more. I really wonder where the savings is when the upfront cost is so high?

I'm thinking that in five years, LED will be more attractive and make more sense.

Eddie

 

[CobyRupert]

I've tried doing those energy saving vs. initial cost calculations: It (or maybe me?) gets really complicated. A) Try to predict future energy cost. Good luck. B) For the LED's, when their lifespan is over, you may have to replace whole fixture or at least the whole internal "circuit board" instead of just changing the bulb. Try to predict (your) future labor cost to do this and future LED fixture price (if they become the standard.)

 

[ultrarunner]

I have not made the jump to LED for the Parking Lot lights at the Hospital.

Prices are coming down and replacing them now is still expensive.

When the city ran the numbers the dawn to dusk numbers made it worth while to retrofit... one man on a bucket truck was expected to do 16 exchanges in 8 hours...

 

[LAFarm]

Eddie, what are you using for the streetlight poles? I have mounted a metal halide light on a PT pole and like the color of it. Also have a fluorescent security light on another PT pole and its color is similar to the metal halide. Know everyone has their own preference, but I don't seem to be able to see as well with the HPS lights. Maybe its an "age" thing.....
Keith

 

[EddieWalker]

I have four like this so far and I'm building three more to finish off my front pasture/driveway. The white plastic fence posts are 5 inches thick, so I made the light post out of four inch round tubing and slide that into five inch square tubing. I weld it up and then cut out the holes for the fence rails into the posts so it all blends together. My goal was to build a light that blended in with my fence and that didn't get in the way of mowing.

Eddie

 

[grsthegreat]

eddie, bottom line is...LED's still need some work. Our local supply shop has been buying replacement heads for all the LED street lighting the city installed a few years ago. those great 40 year light fixtures arnt making it 2 years.

they blame the fact that its old technology thats been updated...im not buying it.

ive installed LED parking lot lights on several buildings, and in commercial applications there will be a cost savings over the years (if the lights last that long) based on 10 HRS/night average use. commercial lots light all night long.

For residential applications, where they arnt needed all night long (who wants their place lit like a auto lot) we have figured it would take 22 years to pay for the light fixture. (we pay $0.06/KWH here)