How long before all streetlights in most areas are LED?

[Bryn666]

I've had an LED outside my house for nearly 4 years now... light on the cul-de-sac is fine, can see the stars at night, and we have a porch light because our driveway is ridiculously long (they redeveloped the estate in the 90s but not the road layout, so what is now the front of the house was originally the rear of the old ones).

[rhyds]

My village's lights have been changed from the original pinky/orange (not sure of the technical term!) to LEDs over the last few days.

The lighting seems much "crisper", with less feeling of yellow fog than with the old lamps, and the incidental spillover in to my driveway is still there.

[martinyoung91]

TNI switched over to using LED from 2015, although casual replacements are 100% like for like, sodium -> sodium or LED -> LED. That way you'll often get a mixture of SOX and SON in the same street, but LED lit streets will be exclusively that. Interestingly in Ballymena there are a few areas done with Hardie 'Night Sight' lanterns, which look like a traditional 35W SOX, but give out white light.

I had also previously noticed that casual replacements were like for like however, just in the last couple of days, the light below was replaced with a LED lantern, but the rest of the street are still sodium lanterns:

https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@54.55511 ... 56!6m1!1e1

I had also previously noticed that where mainline SOX lanterns failed, they were replaced with SON (even for lamp failures) however a new batch of lamps now seems to have been sourced and SOX failures are now being relamped. Accordingly, the street linked below is now a whole mixture of SOX and SON!

https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@54.55483 ... 56!6m1!1e1

Interesting, I walked past the one in Windermere on Sunday and it wasn't done then. Post tops are a certainly rareity in South Belfast. And the Cairnshill Road is just a mess, as is the Saintfield Road, with a mish-mash of SOX and SON.

I was astonished to see a complete new installation of SOX lanterns as late as November 2015 here:
https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@54.43655 ... 312!8i6656

I noticed in the recent NI Budget outlook 2018-2020 document, the DfI has a 'Transformation' item to convert all street lighting in Northern Ireland to LED fittings. The project could reduce the cost of operating and maintaining street lighting by up to 50%, and if fully implemented across Northern Ireland would generate revenue savings of approximately £7.5 million per year. This initial funding of £4 million per year would generate £1.2 million in resource savings by 2020-21, based on current energy prices. The estimated total cost for the full programme is approximately £50 million. Upon completion of the full investment, based on a ten year rollout,payback is estimated to be achieved within 6 years. It would seem pretty much a no-brainer to implement this, but of course we STILL don't have a proper government, so it's anyone' guess if it will get done.

[Little Owl]

On M1 J6 some new LED lighting is in place to replace old MA SOX lanterns. That is all I have observed to date.

[Jonathan24]

I had also previously noticed that casual replacements were like for like however, just in the last couple of days, the light below was replaced with a LED lantern, but the rest of the street are still sodium lanterns:

https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@54.55511 ... 56!6m1!1e1

I had also previously noticed that where mainline SOX lanterns failed, they were replaced with SON (even for lamp failures) however a new batch of lamps now seems to have been sourced and SOX failures are now being relamped. Accordingly, the street linked below is now a whole mixture of SOX and SON!

https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@54.55483 ... 56!6m1!1e1

Interesting, I walked past the one in Windermere on Sunday and it wasn't done then. Post tops are a certainly rareity in South Belfast. And the Cairnshill Road is just a mess, as is the Saintfield Road, with a mish-mash of SOX and SON.

I was astonished to see a complete new installation of SOX lanterns as late as November 2015 here:
https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@54.43655 ... 312!8i6656

I noticed in the recent NI Budget outlook 2018-2020 document, the DfI has a 'Transformation' item to convert all street lighting in Northern Ireland to LED fittings. The project could reduce the cost of operating and maintaining street lighting by up to 50%, and if fully implemented across Northern Ireland would generate revenue savings of approximately £7.5 million per year. This initial funding of £4 million per year would generate £1.2 million in resource savings by 2020-21, based on current energy prices. The estimated total cost for the full programme is approximately £50 million. Upon completion of the full investment, based on a ten year rollout,payback is estimated to be achieved within 6 years. It would seem pretty much a no-brainer to implement this, but of course we STILL don't have a proper government, so it's anyone' guess if it will get done.

Belfast seems to be getting a fair proportion of money spent on LED lighting at the moment. These are just some of the ones I have seen, all replaced in the last month or so:

Ravenhill Road (from Ormeau Embankment to Rosetta Roundabout) - columns and lanterns replaced

Ormeau Embankment - columns and lanterns replaced

Ladas Drive - lanterns replaced

Upper Galwally - lanterns replaced

[martinyoung91]

Interesting, I walked past the one in Windermere on Sunday and it wasn't done then. Post tops are a certainly rareity in South Belfast. And the Cairnshill Road is just a mess, as is the Saintfield Road, with a mish-mash of SOX and SON.

I was astonished to see a complete new installation of SOX lanterns as late as November 2015 here:
https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@54.43655 ... 312!8i6656

I noticed in the recent NI Budget outlook 2018-2020 document, the DfI has a 'Transformation' item to convert all street lighting in Northern Ireland to LED fittings. The project could reduce the cost of operating and maintaining street lighting by up to 50%, and if fully implemented across Northern Ireland would generate revenue savings of approximately £7.5 million per year. This initial funding of £4 million per year would generate £1.2 million in resource savings by 2020-21, based on current energy prices. The estimated total cost for the full programme is approximately £50 million. Upon completion of the full investment, based on a ten year rollout,payback is estimated to be achieved within 6 years. It would seem pretty much a no-brainer to implement this, but of course we STILL don't have a proper government, so it's anyone' guess if it will get done.

Belfast seems to be getting a fair proportion of money spent on LED lighting at the moment. These are just some of the ones I have seen, all replaced in the last month or so:

Ravenhill Road (from Ormeau Embankment to Rosetta Roundabout) - columns and lanterns replaced

Ormeau Embankment - columns and lanterns replaced

Ladas Drive - lanterns replaced

Upper Galwally - lanterns replaced

Yes, there seems to have been a push in the Belfast area to get main roads switched over. North Belfast has seen an absolute glut recently, with Crumlin Road, Oldpark Road, Cliftonville Road, Lanark Way, North Queen Street, West Circular Road, Cambrai Street, Tennant Street, Antrim Road to the M1 bridge, Woodvale Road, Skegoneill Avenue and Shore Road (partially) being done. I think the Sydenham bypass, Saintfield Road from Forestside to Carryduff and Belvoir Road are to be changed over too. Also there have been a lot more casual replacements with LED. Already there are 2 LEDs replacements out of 60ish SOX lanterns in my own development.

[mark3evo]

this week LED's installed along A18 between Scunthorpe and Gunness with the odd Sodium one in between not changed

drove at Night, they are bright with glare in drivers eyes but the bluey light not as good as Sodium ?? on the road

[FleetlinePhil]

The SOX lantern outside my house has been out for two weeks now, presumably this is not now going to be attended to until Calderdale's LED replacement scheme starts next month. The concrete standard was replaced by a steel one about 15 years ago, which is considerably taller than the remaining concrete ones in the street, so it will be interesting to see if they are all replaced in the scheme. In the meantime, we are very much in the dark

EDIT - much to my surprise, I came out of the house on the 1st May to find a cheery guy on a cherry-picker replacing the SOX element. Presumably it will have a life of a month at most, assuming the LED replacement runs to schedule.

[Little Owl]

LED lanterns have replaced all SOX lanterns on the slip roads of Junction 6.

SOX lanterns remain operational on the mainline between Junction 5 and Junction 6A.

[Bryn666]

The SOX lantern outside my house has been out for two weeks now, presumably this is not now going to be attended to until Calderdale's LED replacement scheme starts next month. The concrete standard was replaced by a steel one about 15 years ago, which is considerably taller than the remaining concrete ones in the street, so it will be interesting to see if they are all replaced in the scheme. In the meantime, we are very much in the dark

EDIT - much to my surprise, I came out of the house on the 1st May to find a cheery guy on a cherry-picker replacing the SOX element. Presumably it will have a life of a month at most, assuming the LED replacement runs to schedule.

Probably not, by the looks of it Calderdale are embarking on a lantern swap like most authorities - it's just too expensive to replace columns unless you really need to.

[Brenley Corner]

Probably not, by the looks of it Calderdale are embarking on a lantern swap like most authorities - it's just too expensive to replace columns unless you really need to.

Kent are replacing lanterns on all metal columns (even in one case on old tram pole that was converted to lighting decades ago) - although some columns are being modified with the the bracket/arm being removed or shortened but not in every case; they are also replacing lanterns on brackets that are fixed to wooden telephone/elelctricity poles. However concrete columns are being missed and they are applying for funding to get them replaced.

They have had a separate programme running that predates LED conversion where metal columns with structural issues are being replaced - this is still running concurrently.

Tony

[brummie_rob]

An upgrade to the only a year or so old lighting on M6 J10a-J10 to LED is taking place.

Quite why they replaced all the columns and added SON lighting when LED replacement was in full swing elsewhere on the motorway around Birmingham is odd.

The heads are very small and almost have a flip look to them.

[Jonathan24]

I noticed in the recent NI Budget outlook 2018-2020 document, the DfI has a 'Transformation' item to convert all street lighting in Northern Ireland to LED fittings. The project could reduce the cost of operating and maintaining street lighting by up to 50%, and if fully implemented across Northern Ireland would generate revenue savings of approximately £7.5 million per year. This initial funding of £4 million per year would generate £1.2 million in resource savings by 2020-21, based on current energy prices. The estimated total cost for the full programme is approximately £50 million. Upon completion of the full investment, based on a ten year rollout,payback is estimated to be achieved within 6 years. It would seem pretty much a no-brainer to implement this, but of course we STILL don't have a proper government, so it's anyone' guess if it will get done.

Belfast seems to be getting a fair proportion of money spent on LED lighting at the moment. These are just some of the ones I have seen, all replaced in the last month or so:

Ravenhill Road (from Ormeau Embankment to Rosetta Roundabout) - columns and lanterns replaced

Ormeau Embankment - columns and lanterns replaced

Ladas Drive - lanterns replaced

Upper Galwally - lanterns replaced

Yes, there seems to have been a push in the Belfast area to get main roads switched over. North Belfast has seen an absolute glut recently, with Crumlin Road, Oldpark Road, Cliftonville Road, Lanark Way, North Queen Street, West Circular Road, Cambrai Street, Tennant Street, Antrim Road to the M1 bridge, Woodvale Road, Skegoneill Avenue and Shore Road (partially) being done. I think the Sydenham bypass, Saintfield Road from Forestside to Carryduff and Belvoir Road are to be changed over too. Also there have been a lot more casual replacements with LED. Already there are 2 LEDs replacements out of 60ish SOX lanterns in my own development.

The Saintfield Road has now been converted to LED, with the exception of 3 lanterns outside the KFC which remain as SON for some reason...

It was dark when I was passing but I did notice some of the old columns which bizarrely were not replaced as part of the column replacement scheme a number of years ago are still standing and these haven't been converted to LED either and remain as SOX (although the bulbs seem to have failed in these).

[FleetlinePhil]

Ominous blue crosses have appeared on several concrete standards in our part of Todmorden, but certainly not all. I await the next step with interest.

[Glenn A]

All the lanterns on the A595, A5094, B5295 and B5343( the main roads in Whitehaven) are LED now, although many of the concrete columns from the sixties still remain. There are still on the fringe of town a few telegraph poles with orange sodium lanterns from the early seventies, but it's a case of how long, as about 80 per cent of the town's lights are now LED.

[Robert Kilcoyne]

All the lanterns on the A595, A5094, B5295 and B5343( the main roads in Whitehaven) are LED now, although many of the concrete columns from the sixties still remain. There are still on the fringe of town a few telegraph poles with orange sodium lanterns from the early seventies, but it's a case of how long, as about 80 per cent of the town's lights are now LED.

I am old enough to remember when the concrete columns on the A595 in Whitehaven had Revo Horizon lanterns on long slightly upturned brackets (late 1970's), before the brackets were sleeved and the Horizons replaced by Philips MA lanterns. I can also remember seeing similar Revo Horizon installations in Calder Bridge and Egremont.

[Glenn A]

All the lanterns on the A595, A5094, B5295 and B5343( the main roads in Whitehaven) are LED now, although many of the concrete columns from the sixties still remain. There are still on the fringe of town a few telegraph poles with orange sodium lanterns from the early seventies, but it's a case of how long, as about 80 per cent of the town's lights are now LED.

I am old enough to remember when the concrete columns on the A595 in Whitehaven had Revo Horizon lanterns on long slightly upturned brackets (late 1970's), before the brackets were sleeved and the Horizons replaced by Philips MA lanterns. I can also remember seeing similar Revo Horizon installations in Calder Bridge and Egremont.

I can remember being in a boring physics lesson at school and watching the original lanterns being removed in 1981 and being replaced by orange sodium lanterns. There is a montage of old Whitehaven photos from the early sixties and these columns were in place on the A595 in 1961.

[Patrick Harper]

An upgrade to the only a year or so old lighting on M6 J10a-J10 to LED is taking place.

Quite why they replaced all the columns and added SON lighting when LED replacement was in full swing elsewhere on the motorway around Birmingham is odd.

The heads are very small and almost have a flip look to them.

The lanterns on that stretch were Philips Iridium2's, which were designed to accommodate bespoke LED gear as a future 'upgrade'. They came out in 2011 and according to GSV were installed on the M6 around 2014. Maybe the highway authority thought that the performance/efficiency of newer LED lanterns outstripped what was achievable with Iridium2's, who knows.

[brummie_rob]

An upgrade to the only a year or so old lighting on M6 J10a-J10 to LED is taking place.

Quite why they replaced all the columns and added SON lighting when LED replacement was in full swing elsewhere on the motorway around Birmingham is odd.

The heads are very small and almost have a flip look to them.

The lanterns on that stretch were Philips Iridium2's, which were designed to accommodate bespoke LED gear as a future 'upgrade'. They came out in 2011 and according to GSJ were installed on the M6 around 2014. Maybe the highway authority thought that the performance/efficiency of newer LED lanterns outstripped what was achievable with Iridium2's, who knows.

Blimey, time flies then! I thought maybe two years old at max! I know they had some issues with the wind storms of last year with some heads falling and posts twisting, so they seem to have gone for the narrow width arm instead. They are upgrading this section despite the lighting around J11 and J8 being way older than this section!

[FleetlinePhil]

The SOX lantern outside my house has been out for two weeks now, presumably this is not now going to be attended to until Calderdale's LED replacement scheme starts next month. The concrete standard was replaced by a steel one about 15 years ago, which is considerably taller than the remaining concrete ones in the street, so it will be interesting to see if they are all replaced in the scheme. In the meantime, we are very much in the dark

EDIT - much to my surprise, I came out of the house on the 1st May to find a cheery guy on a cherry-picker replacing the SOX element. Presumably it will have a life of a month at most, assuming the LED replacement runs to schedule.

Probably not, by the looks of it Calderdale are embarking on a lantern swap like most authorities - it's just too expensive to replace columns unless you really need to.

The SOX lantern on our existing steel standard was replaced last Wednesday, so a life of 29 days for the final SOX bulb. The LED lantern up the street that had been done as an ad-hoc replacement was also replaced with the new lantern type. Today the new steel standards are being installed on our street - I really don't think there are going to be many concrete standards left locally.

The new LED light is very good on the street, but does not give as much light into the ginnel at the side. With the SOX, this also used to reflect off the house on the far side of the ginnel into our bathroom, meaning there was a residual level of (free ) light in our house which we have now lost.