New LED streetlights: No grid required

LED maker Lighting Science Group has designed a new series of LED streetlights called the Prolific DC Series. The big deal about this technology is that the lights can be powered by solar- or wind-generated electricity, which means simply that they don't need to be connected to a community's traditional electric grid.

The Prolific Series LSG RoadWay fixture

The lights are being installed along 23 kilometers of superhighway near Mexico City, where they will be powered by low-voltage solar power. The project is being developed by BHP Energy Mexico, along with solar integrator Gerstl Consultores. The road is supposed to open in mid-September. Here's a note from the BHP Energy Mexico CEO, Alan Barson: "This is the first elevated superhighway in Mexico what will be lluminated entirely by solar-powered LED streetlights, and our customer required the most efficient and reliable illumination system available to complement the advanced nature of its solar power system."

Lighting Science Group says that the Prolific Series lights are designed to be at least 50 percent more energy efficient and more uniform lighting than other high-intensity discharge (HID) streetlights. Because the technology uses direct wiring, it can require less maintenance than what is associated with traditional streetlights.