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streeledNew technology is usually more expensive than existing standards, and there is a priming period while the market figures out the applications of the emerging advancements and how to get them into the hands of people all over the globe. LED lighting has been the more energy efficient option since its creation. The cost of fixtures and installation, however, have been prohibitive to many companies and governments throughout the world.

That is no longer the case according to a recent report from Navigant Research. LED lighting manufacturers report that it will prevail as the primary type of outdoor lighting fixture as soon as 2023. Sales of LED light fixtures for parking lots, roads and outdoor venues are expected to more than triple from 4.1 million per year to 14 million between 2014 and 2023.

This statistic applies to the entire world, but it’s something that can be felt as closely as [city]. LED lighting options use about 25 percent of the wattage that traditional, fluorescent lighting fixtures do, and the bulbs are rated for between 50,000-100,000 hours of use. As the technology improves, more companies and governments are making the switch in the name of energy efficiency as well as lower electric bills.

Prices for LED fixtures have fallen substantially over the last several years, and they will continue to fall as more organizations realize the value that these options provide. It is the now lower entry price that is driving major corporations and local governments to now try out the technology even though the return on investment has been substantial for some time.

Buenos Aires, Argentina just replaced more than 90,000 street lights with LED fixtures in an attempt to curb street crime and capitalize on huge savings for citizens. Attempts like this are sweeping the globe, and it won’t be long before LED retrofitting is the standard for replacement in [city] as opposed to older alternatives.

Like Buenos Aires, “smart cities” are the future. American cities, including [city] are trending in this direction. LED lighting integrates the “smart” idea because the fixtures can be controlled in much more sophisticated ways than just turning them on and off. For instance, outdoor fixtures often include light sensors that automatically adjust the amount of light (and therefore the energy expenditure) to the current needs of the environment. The ability to make adjustments without human interaction cuts down on lighting costs before a human has the time to realize there is a problem. Beyond that, the “smart” systems that are integrated in cities can detect things like malfunctioning equipment or rare burned out bulbs. The system itself is then able to alert maintenance of the issue to get it resolved expediently without human surveyors to check regularly.

If you combine the autonomy of many systems with cost savings, there isn’t much question as to why LED retrofitting is growing at this intense pace. Lighting can make up as much as 40 percent of an energy bill in [city], but LEDs can cut down that portion by 50-80 percent. The savings for your [city]-area business as well as local government could be substantial, and the fixtures often pay for themselves within two years.

LED fixtures are the future of lighting, and independent research from Navigant Research confirms that. Substantial savings, reduced energy consumption, innovative smart features and high return on investment are drawing businesses toward the light.

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