6 Things You Should Know About Street Light Poles

Municipal LED Lighting is The Green Solution

The 19th century was an exciting time to be alive thanks to the rapid urbanization fueled by the industrial revolution. In 1878, the first electric street light poles were installed in Paris, and since then they have become a common feature in almost all cities in the world. Today, street lights are being upgraded to energy efficient LEDs to improve their functionality.

The extra illumination from LED street lights facilitates safer navigation and promotes a sense of security to people who work and live in the area. Here we discuss the six things you should know about street light poles before you replace or install them.

1. The pole’s height

The street light pole needs to be of the correct height so as to provide the appropriate lighting density. In most cases, street pole heights range from 9 to 14 feet. Ideally, the street light pole should provide sufficient light without there being an excessive glare.

2. The lighting consistency and installation intervals

Although they help fight crime, street lights are meant to illuminate the way for pedestrians, cyclists, and motorists. However, if one area is well lit and the adjoining area pitch black, it creates room for accidents as the eyes take some time to adjust. Street lights need to be placed at consistent intervals.

3. The environment they are installed

You will need to pay attention to the area within which the street light poles are installed. For instance, in a coastal region, the poles are susceptible to corrosion from salt water. You might, therefore, need poles with a special finish.

4. Light distribution

Although a street could be well lit, there are factors such as trees or tall buildings that could create dark spots. This beats the objective of installing the street lights. It is vital that you keep such features in mind when designing how to place the street lights.

5. Street light poles for aesthetics

Most city spaces today are defined by the quality of their decorative fluted lighting and traffic poles. In the recent past, we’ve seen the emergence of decorative lighting poles that are used to highlight aesthetic fixtures such as statues, gardens, and fountains. This street lighting concept has an exciting charm to it and can aesthetically transform an otherwise dull city space.

6. Street light maintenance

A standard LED street light runs for about 10 to 12 hours a day, and the bulb lasts approximately 50,000 hours. As such, it’s vital to change bulbs as needed for more efficient lighting. Also, the poles used, need to be strong so that they can support the fixture.

Contact Our Outdoor Lighting Solution Experts

Great Basin Lighting makes CalTrans approved lighting poles from materials such as steel, aluminum, fiberglass, and concrete. They can either be anchor based or be fixed into the ground. Contact our team today to discuss your outdoor and roadway lighting needs in California and Nevada.