Are LEDs powerful enough to replace Metal Halide or Tungsten Halogen luminaries?
New generation LEDs are more than capable of providing adequate power to meet illuminance standards required by British Standard (BS) 5489 and BS EN 13201 which set out minimum UK standards for exterior lighting while delivering massive savings in energy usage. The characteristics of LEDs give us the opportunity to look at lighting, and how we use light, differently. Many spaces are over-lit, using energy-hungry lamps such as Metal Halide and Tungsten Halogen. The result is a scheme which consumes excessive amounts of high-priced electricity, is expensive to maintain, generates significant carbon emissions and contributes to the nuisance of light pollution. Were so used to seeing the vast pools of light created by conventional outdoor lights such as Metal Halide and Tungsten Halogen, and the ubiquitous orange glow created by sodium lighting, that it can be difficult to consider that there are alternatives. LEDs may not be suitable for every application and situation, but they offer an
