Luxim’s (Sunnyvale, CA) Light-Emitting Plasma (LEP) technology will replace HID lamps in Scottsburg, IN. As some U.S. cities switch off their street lights to close budget gaps, Scottsburg is upgrading its municipal lighting with an energy-efficient alternative. The transition is helping to create up to 50 local “green” jobs. By the end of the project, more than 600, LEP-powered street lights will be deployed across the city in fixtures designed and manufactured locally by Scottsburg-based Stray Light Optical Technologies Inc. The installation will cut energy use in half and save the city $70,000 per year, the company reports.
Scottsburg officials, led by Mayor William Graham, evaluated several replacement options, including LEDs. LEP was selected for its brighter output, color quality, energy savings and long life, Luxim reports. Its compact form factor – the size of a tic-tac – means it can be flexibly deployed to deliver energy savings in multiple applications, while its 50,000-hour life is three times longer than HID lamps. Moreover, LEP can be dimmed to 20% — an energy-saving feature.
Luxim CEO Tony McGettigan said, “This is a great example of local government and small business working together to reduce energy costs, create jobs and improve the local environment. It is energy efficiency working as it should: not restrictive but inventive; not closing down but building up. We are happy that LEP is part of the story, but the real story is one of revival where people are taking charge, stepping out and stepping up.”