NYS Traffic Signals

Increasing New York State Market Awareness and Demand for Energy-Efficient Light-Emitting Diode Traffic Signals

Project Sponsor:

• New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA)

Project Team:

• Lighting Research Center (LRC), Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
• ICF Consulting, Inc.
• American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE)

Project Description

Traffic signals using light-emitting diodes (LEDs) as light sources offer New York State (NYS) municipalities and highway authorities significant energy-saving and economic opportunities. Some regions of the U.S., including a few areas in NYS, have begun to take advantage of these savings, but information and economic barriers prevail in NYS. The LRC, in cooperation with the ACEEE and with ICF, is developing an effort to both increase awareness of the benefits of LED traffic signals, and to build demand for existing and new products. The effort is being conducted as a project within the LRC's Lighting Transformations Program.

Activities for the project include:

• Surveying NYS municipalities about their use of and opinions about LED traffic signals.
• Concise and objective information and tools for decision makers who are concerned about codes, standards, product performance, energy and economics.
• Regional demonstration(s) that shall be facilitated by the project team.
• A model product performance and purchasing specification that could be adopted by NYS municipalities, energy service companies and procurement groups.
• Outreach activities that will emphasize interaction between mid-stream marketers and purchasers of traffic signal products.

Project Results:

• Summary of recent articles and reports pertaining to LED traffic signals
• Minutes of a roundtable held on October 18, 2000 at the Lighting Research Center
• LED Traffic Signals: Saving Money and Energy in New York State (PDF brochure)
• LED Traffic Signal Life Cycle Cost Analyzer - Basic Tool
  
      Other LED Traffic Signal Cost Calculation tools:
        Energy Star
        Dialight
• Case Study: New York State Department of Transportation
• Case Study: Onondaga County
• Case Study: Westchester County
• Evaluation: Troy-Green Island Bridge
• Summary of NYSERDA's LED Traffic Signal Program (Powerpoint presentation)

For More Information:

• View additional information about light-emitting diodes from the LRC
• Learn about other NYSERDA programs and activities for NYS municipalities
• Email Laurie Kokkinides, NYSERDA, Project Manager
• Email John D. Bullough, LRC, Co-Principal Investigator
• Email Dan Frering, LRC, Co-Principal Investigator
• Email Mariana Figueiro, LRC, Lighting Transformations Program Director