Mekong Bob Posted April 9, 2015 Share Posted April 9, 2015 our village erected our own concrete utility poles and installed street lights, and our homeowners provide the electric power, all paid for by our dues. ten years ago, simple 35-inch fluorescent tubes (uncovered) were installed at 60 points in the village, wired together and activated each evening with a solar timer. the tubes provide minimal illumination, last a decent length of time, and are inexpensive. many of us are familiar with fluorescent tubes ( popularly known as "fai-neon") because these are commonly used in homes. time for a change. time to go with modern lighting. what's best, most efficient? we have a couple of 250-watt bulbs (bowling pin shape) installed, and the illumination is excellent. same type used on some of the major public roads. should we consider LED lights? Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RED21 Posted April 9, 2015 Share Posted April 9, 2015 (edited) You might want to look for street lighting LED assemblies as normal LEDs assemblies used in the house won't do the job right (something to do with light distribution ). LEDs are very energy efficient but may cost a bit more than conventional sodium street lights. Edited April 9, 2015 by RED21 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
worgeordie Posted April 9, 2015 Share Posted April 9, 2015 LED lights would cost more,but provide savings in electricity charges which seem to be on the increase. I have seen several shops around town that specialize in selling LED lights, so maybe best to contact them to find prices and the best solutions. regards Worgeordie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seligne2 Posted April 9, 2015 Share Posted April 9, 2015 A couple of years ago I managed the renovation of a public park in Canada. When it came to lighting, I was pleasantly shocked at all the alternatives to mercury vapour that had come out only just recently. There is a lot of upheaval and innovation in that industry, mostly benefiting consumers. At that time, we judged that it was too early for LED. The lumens were just not there, the prices were high, and standards were still in the process being set (style of mounting, etc) One thing that was a no-brainer was the adoption of "dark sky" lighting. That is, fixtures that place the light on the ground where it is needed, not broadcast 360 degrees. So much of Thai outdoor lighting consists of only naked fluorescent tubes, wasteful in the extreme, ugly at night, and throw light pollution every which way. At the time, my best friend was the web, where one could learn about new technologies, their cost, etc. In Thailand, your job is more difficult because almost your first consideration will have to be ease of upkeep, spares availability, etc. The fact that you are asking around encourages me to think that you will come up with something significantly better than the norm. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mekong Bob Posted April 9, 2015 Author Share Posted April 9, 2015 are these big "bowling pin" bulbs just an oversized incandescent bulb, or some sort of "energy-saver" bulb"? the 250-watt size gives very nice, bright "daylight" lighting - much better than the old tubes, of course. should I look for equal illumination (measured in lumens) in the newer LED lights? More expensive, I'm sure, but longer-lasting, and draws less energy to burn all night (12 hours). Right? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eyecatcher Posted April 9, 2015 Share Posted April 9, 2015 before you decide on LED just drive around to see if you can see them being used anywhere. They started replacing all the lovely yellow sodium streetlights in the UK with LED equivalent (apparently) and they look awful. The light emitted is about a quarter of the sodium lamps. its amiserable dull light that gives you headache. Maybe the Govt policy was to take the lumen level down to 1 candella and wave twos up to everyone who knows? just saying go and see some in the evening. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mickeem Posted April 9, 2015 Share Posted April 9, 2015 I read an article that stated the new LED street lamps in the UK are causing disruption to peoples sleep if they have a lamp near their bedroom. Apparently they emit a lot of light in the blue wavelength spectrum that is similar to natural light Maybe try googling to find the original articles .. turns out they are not the perfect solution to energy saving street lighting after all Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chiang mai Posted April 9, 2015 Share Posted April 9, 2015 I changed all the lights in my house, inside and outside, to LED's. the initial cost was not cheap but I hardly use any electricity on lighting hence the on cost is very cheap. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dante99 Posted April 9, 2015 Share Posted April 9, 2015 I changed all the lights in my house, inside and outside, to LED's. the initial cost was not cheap but I hardly use any electricity on lighting hence the on cost is very cheap. How do they compare with your old ones for heat, are they much cooler? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chiang mai Posted April 9, 2015 Share Posted April 9, 2015 I changed all the lights in my house, inside and outside, to LED's. the initial cost was not cheap but I hardly use any electricity on lighting hence the on cost is very cheap. How do they compare with your old ones for heat, are they much cooler? They're almost cold, despite having been on for many hours, it's slightly freaky. Plus, when I first made the change over I bought a bunch of 7 & 9 watt bulbs whereas 3 & 4 watt is all that is required (by me). Sooo, if anyone needs a supply of 7 and/or 9 watt Phillips bulbs at 50% of their cost, please shout! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dante99 Posted April 9, 2015 Share Posted April 9, 2015 Are they white or that yellowish daylight color? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chiang mai Posted April 9, 2015 Share Posted April 9, 2015 Are they white or that yellowish daylight color? White. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichCor Posted April 9, 2015 Share Posted April 9, 2015 Our little village recently installed a dozen of these in a couple of locations. They're solar powered (battery charged) LED Array lamp post. [note: the electrical mains don't power the thing, they just put the pole in touching them] I tried asking if these were government issues, or village purchased, but got nowhere. They haven't added to the collection. They do put out a nice about of light, much better than our florescent tube over the street. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dante99 Posted April 9, 2015 Share Posted April 9, 2015 (edited) Our little village recently installed a dozen of these in a couple of locations. They're solar powered (battery charged) LED Array lamp post. [note: the electrical mains don't power the thing, they just put the pole in touching them] I tried asking if these were government issues, or village purchased, but got nowhere. They haven't added to the collection. They do put out a nice about of light, much better than our florescent tube over the street. I wonder if they will get enough charge in the rainy periods when it is cloudy for several days in a row. Hope so. Edited April 9, 2015 by Dante99 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mousehound Posted April 10, 2015 Share Posted April 10, 2015 There is also concern that LED lights are much more attractive to insects. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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