LED streetlights - Not as bad as I thought

[spaceman_spiff]

Hi all,

Today Bury council started work replacing the old Sodium lights on my street with new LED ones. I was at first apprehensive of the change because of their broader spectrum (harder to remove with filters) and greater air glow potential (stronger blue component).

However, I took this pic which shows both the new lights (the two in the foreground) and older lights (further down the street). The comparison is clear, the LED lights leak almost no light into the sky, instead, almost all is directed downwards. They are also dimmer and show far less glare than the old ones.

So therefore if you get the letter in the post advising you of the change in street lighting, be happy  !

[Pete Presland]

They certainly look an improvement.

[Mrbloke]

Definitely seems promising. The true test will be what happens when you look up though!

[SteveNickolls]

Glad the new lamps are spilling out less light pollution and that you get to have better conditions for observing   Our county council is slowly rolling out the led lighting and fortunately for the side streets they aren't replacing with taller columns. Depending on the columns themselves you might find that the lights also get dimmed/turned off after a certain time-bliss!

Cheers,

Steve

[ronin]

I think it depends if you are observing what is in effect "over the area" or if you are observing "in the area".

With them being more directional and downwards then observing over their location is improved - there is less light pollution going up.

If however you are observing inside then you are in a pool of possibly more light and it is white light.

[DaveS]

Sounds like you've got a fairly clued-up council who doesn't see the increased efficiency of LEDs as an excuse to increase the brightness, unlike in Hounslow where I think they must have got a job-lot of stadium floods to use as street lights, resulting in the residents having to fit blackout blinds to their bedrooms in order to sleep, and even then having huge leakage problems. They kicked up a huge stink on the local news but I'm not sure what (If any) effect it had.

[spaceman_spiff]

Sounds like you've got a fairly clued-up council who doesn't see the increased efficiency of LEDs as an excuse to increase the brightness, unlike in Hounslow where I think they must have got a job-lot of stadium floods to use as street lights, resulting in the residents having to fit blackout blinds to their bedrooms in order to sleep, and even then having huge leakage problems. They kicked up a huge stink on the local news but I'm not sure what (If any) effect it had.

That was what I was worrying about - that they would ramp up the brightness just because of the increased efficiency and/or because of a perceived reduction in crime, but it is just not necessary!

What they are doing in Hounslow is not good for light pollution, wildlife, your sleeping patterns and their energy bill. 

[ronin]

Driving along a road that has them fitted is a lot easier.

[mikehab]

We received a letter from the local council last week informing us they are about to start doing this in our area too - likewise I was rather worried - but having seen your picture I'm now slightly more encouraged.   Fingers crossed....

[Uplooker]

What effect does a LPR filter have on normal incandescent bulbs, some people still use in the home?

Sent from my Fone

[Beulah]

Wow, that is quite a difference!!

[Golfey]

We had LED streetlamps fitted a month ago - no warning letter from the council (no surprise).  They seem to direct the light downwards and only illuminate the road.  The previous lights lit most of our front lawn - now just the fringe.  Sadly the LP in the area is still to high for great seeing.  So as others have said if it is done correctly (no stadium lights!) then it can be an improvement.

[spaceman_spiff]

We received a letter from the local council last week informing us they are about to start doing this in our area too - likewise I was rather worried - but having seen your picture I'm now slightly more encouraged.   Fingers crossed....

Great...I'm pleased that this post has provided some reassurance. 

As mentioned by MrBloke, the true test is whether the view through the scope improves. I will try to do some comparison images once the council have finished doing all the local streetlights. 

[spaceman_spiff]

What effect does a LPR filter have on normal incandescent bulbs, some people still use in the home?

Sent from my Fone

Incandescent bulbs give a very broad spectrum with more power in the longer wavelengths (red and infrared).

I don't think LPR filters will be much use against them since they only cut out a small portion of light .

[damnut]

That is good news. Ours are slowly being replaced as the old ones fail, but there is no sustained plan for a proper rollout.

[astronymonkey]

They replaced the ones in our street a few months ago and I was surprised at how directional they were. There was one lamp that i could always see from my back garden between the houses but when I had a look after the led lamp was fitted I honestly thought I was in the wrong part of the garden as I couldn't make out the lamp head , only the partly illuminated pole could be seen like in the picture.

I have two more offendeding lights in a street along the side of the garden and im hoping that when that street is done that ill have a similar result.

They are very bright led lights when yiu are under them but from the back or side they do seem much better.

Cheers

[Mrbloke]

Sounds like robbers will be chuffed. Being able to sneak out of the darkness to catch people unawares as they are blinded under the bright glow of LED sounds ideal!

From elsewhere on the 'net it appears LPR filters are less effective on LED lighting, so some good news (less upward leakage) and some bad.

[spaceman_spiff]

They replaced the ones in our street a few months ago and I was surprised at how directional they were.

Same here. The Sodium lights in the background of the picture light up the sounding houses quite strongly. The LEDs produce almost no stray light at all, the effect is quite striking.