Commercial LED Street Lighting

What are LED Street Lights?

LED street lights are pole-mounted fixtures specifically engineered to illuminate roadways, highways, and urban thoroughfares with precision light distribution. Also known as cobra head lights, these fixtures mount directly to the top of light poles and utilize advanced optics to distribute light evenly across traffic areas. Most installations feature one fixture per pole, though spacing varies based on road classification and local requirements.

Modern LED street fixtures operate across 120V to 480V input ranges with drivers that automatically adjust to your building's electrical system. We typically recommend 3000K to 4000K color temperatures for most municipal applications, though many cities now prefer the warmer 3000K option to reduce light pollution and improve nighttime visibility.

Street light optics follow standardized Type classifications from Type 1 through Type 5, with Type 3 and Type 5 being most common for roadway applications. Optional photocell controls automatically activate fixtures at dusk and deactivate at dawn, eliminating manual operation while ensuring consistent nighttime illumination.

What are the Benefits of LED Street Light Fixtures?

Energy Savings: Immediate electric bill reductions of 50 to 80 percent compared to metal halide and high-pressure sodium systems make LED conversion projects pay for themselves quickly.

High Quality Illumination: Superior color rendering and consistent white light eliminate the orange glare associated with sodium fixtures while improving visibility for both drivers and pedestrians.

Lower Maintenance Costs: Extended operating life eliminates frequent bulb changes and ballast replacements, dramatically reducing labor costs and service calls over the fixture's lifespan.

Safety: Enhanced visibility from quality LED illumination correlates with reduced crime rates and fewer traffic incidents in well-lit areas.

Long Life: Operating lifespans of 50,000 to 100,000 hours far exceed the 10,000-hour typical life of metal halide systems, reducing replacement frequency and disposal costs.

Control Ready: Built-in compatibility with smart controls, dimming systems, and photocells allows for automated operation and energy optimization without complex retrofitting.

Instant On: Full brightness activation occurs immediately upon switching, unlike HID systems that require several minutes of warm-up time.

Rugged: Engineered to withstand extreme temperature fluctuations, high winds, moisture exposure, and mechanical stress without performance degradation.

What are Standard Lux Levels and Foot Candle Levels for Street Lighting?

Illumination requirements vary significantly between municipalities and depend heavily on road classification and pavement type. Higher-traffic roadways consistently require greater illumination levels than residential streets. Foot candle measurements provide the most common specification method in North American markets.

Lux and Foot Candle Levels

• Major Roads: 20-30 lux or 2-3 foot candles
• Collector Roads: 10-20 lux or 1-2 foot candles
• Residential Roads: 5-10 lux or 0.5-1 foot candles
• Pedestrian Areas and Sidewalks: 10-20 lux or 1-2 foot candles

What's the Best Way to Design Street Lighting?

Professional lighting design begins with comprehensive photometric analysis using specialized street lighting software. Unlike indoor lighting calculations, roadway illumination requires precise modeling of light distribution patterns, pole spacing, and uniformity ratios to meet municipal standards. Our design team creates detailed lighting plans that account for road width, traffic patterns, and local code requirements.

Proper fixture selection depends on mounting height, spacing between poles, and required uniformity ratios. We typically recommend starting with a lighting audit of existing conditions, then developing a plan that optimizes both performance and energy efficiency while meeting all applicable standards.

Common Wattages and Applications

Street light wattage selection depends primarily on mounting height, pole spacing, and road classification. Most municipal installations utilize fixtures ranging from 50 watts to 400 watts depending on application requirements.

Residential streets typically require 50W to 150W fixtures mounted at 20-25 foot heights. Collector roads perform well with 150W to 250W options, while major arterials and highways often utilize 300W to 400W fixtures mounted 30-40 feet high. When replacing existing HID systems, LED wattages are typically 50-60% lower while providing equal or superior illumination levels.

Mounting and Installation Considerations

LED street lights accommodate various mounting configurations including slip fitter, adjustable arm, and direct pole-top mounting. Standard slip fitter sizes range from 2-3/8 inch to 4 inch to match existing pole hardware.

Installation typically requires minimal electrical modifications since LED drivers accept 120V to 480V input automatically. Photocell integration happens either through built-in receptacles or external mounting, depending on fixture design and local preferences. Most municipalities prefer fixtures with tool-free access to driver compartments for simplified maintenance.

Safety and Performance Certifications

All our fixtures carry essential certifications including DLC Premium, UL Listed, and ETL Listed approvals. These certifications ensure safety, performance, and energy efficiency while qualifying your project for utility rebates and tax incentives. DLC Premium certification guarantees the highest efficiency standards and maximum rebate eligibility.

Warranty and Warranty Support

All our lights come with at least a 5-year warranty, and all warranty support is based in the USA. We take customer support seriously, and helping you with a warranty claim is important to us. Our experienced support team understands the importance of keeping your lighting operational and will work quickly to resolve any warranty issues.

Need Help? Talk to an LED Street Light Expert.

With numerous wattage options, beam patterns, and mounting configurations available, selecting the optimal street lighting solution requires expert guidance. Our sales engineers bring 17 years of LED street lighting experience to every project consultation. Share your specific requirements with us, and we'll recommend the most effective fixtures for your application while ensuring compliance with local codes and standards. We provide free lighting plans to guarantee proper illumination levels and uniform light distribution across your roadway project.

LED Street Light FAQ

What are LED Street Lights?

LED Street Lights are pole-mounted fixtures designed to illuminate roadways using solid-state LED technology instead of traditional HPS or metal halide lamps. They're often called cobra head lights due to their distinctive curved housing. These fixtures mount on light poles using standard slip-fitter connections and feature Type III or Type V optics for optimal roadway light distribution. Most include integrated photocells for automatic dusk-to-dawn operation.

Should You Consider Using LED Solar Street Lights?

Solar Street Lights work well for remote locations but have practical limitations. Maximum output typically caps around 8,000-20,000 lumens due to battery constraints, and consecutive cloudy days reduce performance. Installation costs run 3-5 times higher than grid-tied LED street lights. Use solar for off-grid applications where trenching electrical service exceeds $5,000 per pole.

How Long Do Street Lights Last?

Quality LED street lights deliver 100,000+ hour lifespans with proper thermal management, equating to 15-20 years at 12 hours nightly operation. L70 ratings from DLC Premium certified fixtures guarantee 70% lumen maintenance throughout this period. Auto-adjusting constant current drivers eliminate voltage fluctuation damage common with traditional ballasts.

What is the Cost of LED Outdoor Street Lights?

The cost of LED outdoor street lights varies but in most cases can fit in the range from $250. This is because street lights are used for a variety of areas such as underground parking lots, expressways, as well as residential backyards and this all affects the price. UL and ETL listed fixtures ensure code compliance and utility rebate eligibility.

Can You Retrofit a Street Light with LED?

Yes, LED street light retrofits allow ballast bypass conversion of existing HPS fixtures. Retrofit kits include integrated drivers and maintain original slip-fitter mounting. Most retrofits deliver 50-60% energy savings over HPS while providing superior light quality and instant-on operation.

What's the Best Way to Keep Light from Street Lights Away From Houses?

Light trespass control requires proper optics selection and shielding. Type III optics concentrate light forward onto roadways rather than residential areas. Adding back shields or house-side shields blocks light spillage behind the fixture. Full cutoff fixtures with 0° uplight prevent sky glow and neighbor complaints.

Are LED Street Lights Brighter than Traditional Outdoor Light Sources?

LED street lights appear brighter due to superior light quality, not just lumens. A 100W LED fixture producing 15,000 lumens with 70+ CRI provides better visibility than a 250W HPS lamp generating 27,000 lumens at 25 CRI. White LED light enhances color recognition and peripheral vision compared to yellow HPS output.

What's the Cost to Install LED Street Lights?

Professional installation typically costs $150-$400 per fixture depending on pole height and site access. Bucket truck rental adds $200-$300 daily to project costs. Most installations take 45-90 minutes per pole including old fixture removal. Electrical connections are straightforward since LED drivers accept standard 120-277V input without modifications.

Is it Difficult to Install LED Street Lights?

LED street light installation requires certified electricians with aerial lift equipment for safety and code compliance. The fixtures themselves feature simple 3-wire connections (line, neutral, ground) and standard slip-fitter mounting that matches existing infrastructure. Auto-adjusting drivers eliminate complex wiring configurations, making the electrical work straightforward once positioned.