Street lighting design and 5 nice types of luminaire arrangement

Introduction

Street lighting is an often overlooked presence in the urban landscape, yet plays an integral role in shaping our cities and communities. When we walk, drive or cycle down brightly lit streets, we rarely stop to consider the engineering and design work behind these lights. However, the quality of street lighting greatly affects the safety, comfort and aesthetics of our surroundings. This article provides an in-depth look at the complexities of street lighting design and the role of luminaire placement in achieving optimal lighting conditions.

?

Several important roles of street lighting

Safety and Security: Street lighting is necessary for public safety. It makes walkers and drivers feel safe on the road. It provides drivers and pedestrians with better nighttime visibility, making them easier to see and be seen, reducing the risk of accidents and falls.

Improve Atmosphere: Properly designed street lighting can enhance the overall ambiance of a city or community, making it more attractive to residents and visitors.

Reduce Crime Rates: Well-lit streets are less likely to attract criminal activity, making the street or community safer for residents. Adequate lighting can even deter criminal activity.

Improve Economic Activity: Proper street lighting can enhance a sense of safety and make commercial areas more attractive and engaging, thereby increasing foot traffic and business activity.

Energy Efficiency: Energy-efficient street lighting can help reduce energy costs and environmental impact, while still providing adequate lighting for public safety and security.

?

A reasonable street lighting design should include the following points:

Sufficient Illumination: Street lighting should provide sufficient light for safe and efficient use of roads and sidewalks. At the same time, street lighting should avoid glare, shadows, and other visual distractions.

Uniformity: The whole illuminance should be uniform, with consistent light levels throughout the area. Make sure there are no obvious dark or high-contrast areas that could cause a safety hazard.

Control and Flexibility: Lighting systems should have dimming and on/off controls. It can automatically collect ambient light brightness data and provide different levels of lighting brightness to save electricity power.

Appropriate Light Distribution: Guide light to where it is needed through reasonable distribution of lamps and avoid unnecessary light pollution.

Aesthetics: The lighting design is integrated with the surrounding environment to achieve overall aesthetics, such as architectural structures, landscapes, cultural heritage, etc.

Sustainability: Optimal luminaire arrangement can maximize the energy efficiency of the lighting system. Adopt LED or other energy-efficient solutions to reduce energy consumption and minimize environmental impact.

Types of luminaire arrangements

There are several types of luminaire arrangements, match different road conditions. Here we discuss the common four types for reference.

Single-sided: In this arrangement, luminaires are mounted on one side of the street. This arrangement is ideal for roads that have structures or obstacles on one side, such as bridges, seafronts, or walls.

Double-sided: In this arrangement, luminaires are mounted on both sides of the street. This approach is typically used on narrow roads, where it can provide a high level of uniform illumination without creating dark spots.

Staggered Arrangement: In a staggered arrangement, luminous aires are placed alternatively on both sides of the road, creating a zig-zag pattern. This arrangement is often seen on wider roads where a single-sided arrangement may not provide sufficient illumination across the entire road width. The staggered placement helps achieve uniform illumination and minimizes shadows.

Offset: In this arrangement, luminaires are mounted diagonally across from each other on opposite sides of the street.

?

Factors Influencing the Choice of Luminaire Arrangement

Several factors can influence the choice of luminaire arrangement. These include:

Type of Road: Whether it's a residential lane, an arterial road, or a highway, each one has a different lighting request and influences the luminaire arrangement.

Surrounding Environment: The surrounding environment can have a substantial impact on how light is distributed. The presence of trees, buildings, and other structures can block or reflect light, affecting the luminaire arrangement.

Existing Infrastructure: Existing infrastructure such as power lines and poles may also influence the arrangement of luminaires. In many cases, it may be more cost-effective and practical to install lights where electrical infrastructure already exists.

Budget and Energy Efficiency: Lastly, financial considerations and the desire for energy efficiency may influence luminaire placement. More efficient luminaire arrangements may require fewer light fixtures, reducing both installation and operating costs.

?

Suggestion for street lighting installation height

Here are some general guidelines for the installation height of street lighting for different places.

Residential streets: 3-5 meters (10-16 feet). For low-speed residential streets with light traffic, a mounting height of 3-5 meters is generally sufficient.

Local arterials: 6-10 meters (20-33 feet). For higher-speed roads with heavier traffic, a mounting height of 6-10 meters is typically recommended.

Urban expressways and highways: 10-14 m (33-46 ft). For urban expressways and highways with higher speeds and more traffic, an installation height of 10-14 meters may be required.

Non-motorized lanes and sidewalks: 2-4 meters (7-13 feet). For non-motorized lanes and sidewalks, we recommend to install at a height of 2-4 meters.

This is only a general guideline and the exact mounting height will depend on road type, traffic speed, road width and required lighting levels. Other factors such as the type of lighting source used, the presence of obstructions, and local regulations also will infect it. If you have no idea about it, consult a professional for the best advice.

?

LED Lights in Modern Street Lighting Design

LED technology has revolutionized street lighting design in the past ten years. LED lights have several advantages compared to traditional light sources:

Higher Energy Efficiency: LEDs consume less energy than traditional light sources for the same level of brightness, which can result in pretty good cost and energy savings over the lifetime of the light fixture.

Longer Lifespan: LEDs also can work much longer than other light sources. While a high-pressure solid lamp(HPS) may last around 3,000 hours, and a metal halide lamp (MHL) around 8,000 hours, a LED street light can last more than 50,000 hours.

Better Light Quality: LEDs provide a higher quality of light. They offer a wide range of color temperatures, provide better color rendering, and achieve full brightness immediately upon being switched on.

Flexible Design: The small size and low heat output of LEDs allow for more flexible luminaire designs. This makes LEDs suitable for a variety of luminaire arrangements and allows for more creative and aesthetically pleasing street lighting designs.

As an example, consider a city that recently replaced its traditional high-pressure sodium streetlights with LEDs. The city strategically arranged these LEDs in a staggered pattern, taking into account the specific lighting needs of different areas. This shift resulted in increased light uniformity, reduced energy consumption, lower maintenance costs, and enhanced nighttime visibility, thus improving the safety and appeal of the city's streets.

?

Welcome to inquire from Prime company for your street lighting projects

Prime Company is a professional manufacturer and exporter of led roadway lights and other led outdoor lighting products in China. There are a series of led street lighting products for option. The Prime company always offers reliable quality and reasonable price lamps for more than 30 countries in the world.

If you are seeking ideas for a new street lighting project, or planning to upgrade your current street lighting system, please feel free to contact us. Our product specialist team is ready to help you make your selections and create a satisfying lighting design. Let's create brighter, safer, and more sustainable cities together.