LED Streetlight Conversion

Project Overview

As part of a Countywide effort on sustainability, Public Works in coordination with Southern California Edison (SCE) has converted approximately 60,000 streetlights to date within the unincorporated communities of Los Angeles County from High-Pressure Sodium (HPS) lighting to energy-efficient Light Emitting Diode (LED) technology.

No new streetlights will be installed as part of the streetlight conversion project. The existing HPS lamps will be replaced by equivalent LED lamps providing the same level of illumination.

Project Background

Streetlights are a significant source of energy consumption, and in many cases, the largest utility expense for many municipalities. Over the years, advancements in lighting technologies have aimed to improve on energy efficiency, service life, and lighting quality.

LED lighting is the latest lighting technology to provide unprecedented energy efficiency, increased lamp life, and improved visibility over its HPS predecessor. As a result, HPS lighting has become nearly obsolete and is rapidly being replaced by LED lighting as the standard roadway lighting technology.

Since 2015, Public Works has been proactively converting lighting infrastructure to LED technology to take advantage of substantial benefits (see Project Goals and Benefits section) while adapting to an ever-changing lighting industry. In 2018, Public Works completed the Countywide conversion of safety lighting at intersections controlled by traffic signals to LED lighting.

All new streetlight installations use LED lamp fixtures. Building on this progress, Public Works focused on converting the 60,000+ streetlights located within the unincorporated communities of Los Angeles County to LED lighting.

Project Goals and Benefits

Goal 1: Support the County’s efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and meet sustainability objectives. The LED conversion project:

Reduced streetlight energy consumption by approximately 50% or 18 million kilowatt-hours annually (enough to power 2,400 homes for a year).
Reduced the County’s carbon footprint and is assisting in meeting carbon neutrality by 2045 as outlined in the County’s Climate Action Plan.

Goal 2: Promote green technologies and innovations to enhance the wellness and quality of life for the communities of Los Angeles County. The LED conversion project:

Reduced light pollution by utilizing LED lamp fixtures that are Dark Sky compliant and direct little to no light above the lamp. See figure 1.

Photo of Los Angeles in aerial view from in 2002 and in 2012 showing reduction in light pollution by utilizing LED lamp fixtures that are Dark Sky compliant and direct little to no light above the lamp. — **Figure 1:** Los Angeles in 2002 and Los Angeles in 2012

Improved nighttime visibility and awareness for motorists and pedestrians by utilizing LED lamp fixtures with improved lighting uniformity, distribution, and color rendering. See figure 2.

A before and after photo of Wilshire Blvd showing Improvement of nighttime visibility and awareness for motorists and pedestrians by utilizing LED lamp fixtures with improved lighting uniformity, distribution, and color rendering. — **Figure 2:** Wilshire Blvd. before and after

Reduced light trespass while providing sufficient illumination levels for roadway and sidewalk surfaces by utilizing LED lamp fixtures that direct light downward and prevent overspill onto adjacent real properties. See figure 3.

a photo showing reduction in light trespass while providing sufficient illumination levels for roadway and sidewalk surfaces by utilizing LED lamp fixtures that direct light downward and prevent overspill onto adjacent real properties. — **Figure 3:** Reduce Light Trespass

Reduced environmental impact by utilizing LED lamp fixtures that contain no mercury or lead and are 100% recyclable.

Goal 3: Pursue operational effectiveness, fiscal responsibility, and accountability. The LED conversion project:

Reduced the frequency of streetlight outages and provided maintenance and energy savings by utilizing energy-efficient LED lamp fixtures with a lifespan 4 times longer than existing HPS lighting.
Ensured the sustainability of the County’s street lighting operations and program by shifting from outdated technologies to emerging and proven technologies.
Provided eligibility to the County to secure approximately $2.7 million in energy efficiency incentives from SCE.

LED Conversion Status

Public Works has achieved a 96% completion rate for the County’s streetlight conversion program. Our final phase focuses on specialized decorative lighting and navigating complex access sites. We continue to collaborate with SCE to bridge these final gaps.

View our interactive map to see the progress in your specific community.

Click here for full screen map

Contacts

Answers to many of the common questions asked by residents on LED conversion can be found in the Frequently Asked Questions Document.

For further questions please contact our street lighting hotline at (800) 618-7575