Chinese city sees the light, invests in LED technology

Tianjin, China's third largest city, has become the first city in that country to join the LED City program backed by Cree and other cities that support the installation of energy-efficient LED lighting.

The Tianjin Economic Development Area (TEDA) teamed up with Tianjin Polytechnic University over the past two years as part of a graduate student project to install about 1,500 LED streetlights that illuminate the university's streets. As a result, TEDA is now evaluating the deployment of LED as part of its municipal "infrastructure."

LED City is a organization focused on promoting LED as a way to save energy, reduce municipal maintenance costs and improve public safety.