Frequently Asked Questions About LED Lighting Infrastructure
Q: What can I do to avoid copper theft in streetlights?
A: To mitigate copper theft while still maintaining access to service the streetlight, cities can replace the standard hand hole covers with more substantial, heavier gauge covers, including covers that have unique locking keys that are specific to the city. Another option is to incorporate ‘smart’ network lighting controllers that can detect the ‘fingerprint’ of a theft in process and alert the police.
Q: Is solar lighting more cost effective than line voltage?
A: Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) of solar lighting vs. line voltage is heavily dependent upon the trenching or boring costs of getting the power lines from the utility service pole to the solar lighting assemblies. If this distance is great, or the cost per foot high as it may be in a metropolitan application, solar lighting can be more cost effective than line voltage.
Q: Who can municipalities work with to help them with streetlight design, engineering and application questions?
A: Manufacturer’s representatives at GBL Infrastructure Solutions offer consulting services to assist cities with their lighting. Cities can also work with electrical engineering and infrastructure firms that specialize in street lighting, and street lighting poles.
Q: Where can I find concrete poles for streetlights?
A: Manufacturer representatives at GBL offer a wide selection of streetlight poles, including concrete poles.
Q: Which manufacturers are represented by GBL Infrastructure Solutions Inc.
A: See a list of our partners here!
Q: Has GBL Infrastructure Solutions worked on any large projects?
A: Yes. Projects include the Doyle Drive approach to the Golden Gate Bridge, Cities of San Jose, Fresno and others.
Q: Can cities replace their line voltage, grid-tied cobrahead streetlights with solar lighting?
A: Yes. A city can replace either just the luminaire, with an “all in one” solar luminaire, or replace the entire luminaire and pole assembly.
Q: Who provides photometric layouts for street lighting?
A: Manufacturer representatives at GBL are a good resource for providing lighting layouts.
Q: Which solar lighting manufacturers offer BABA compliant lighting?
A: Clearworld and Gridshift can offer BABA compliant lighting. Check with each manufacturer for BABA specific product.
Q: Which company can provide Caltrans lighting?
A: GBL Infrastructure Solutions can provide Caltrans-approved lighting and poles.
Q: How should a city approach a street lighting replacement project?
A: Cities should inventory their current street lighting, in terms of wattage, performance, and age. Then, they should reach out to a manufacturer’s representative for guidance on replacement products and the associated cost and payback.
Q: What lighting manufacturers are BABA compliant?
A: A manufacturer’s representative at GBL Infrastructure Solutions can guide customers through their product offerings to identify which meet BABA requirements.
Q: Is solar lighting IDA “dark sky” compliant?
A: Yes, most solar lighting manufacturers offer IDA compliant lighting.
Q: Does Caltrans have an approved solar lighting manufacture for roadway and traffic signal intersection?
A: To locate Caltrans-approved solar lighting, customers should contact their lighting infrastructure manufacturer’s representative at GBL.
Q: Has PG&E installed any municipal solar lights?
A: Yes. PG&E has installed solar lights in San Francisco’s North Beach area. For more information, contact GBL.
Q: Why do some streetlights look yellow, where as others are more white?
A: The color of LED lighting is referred to as color temperature and is measured in degrees Kelvin. Typically street lights are warmer color, around 3000K to 4000K.
Q: Who can help a city “cross-over” one lighting manufacturer to another?
A: A manufacturer’s representative at GBL can assist.
Q: How should a city approach a street lighting design project?
A: First a city should identify what problems they are trying to solve such as safety, vandalism, energy cost, failing fixtures, maintenance or activating a space at night.
Q: What does California Title 24, Part 6 require for outdoor lighting controls on a school site?
A: Motion sensors, dimming, and automatic shutoff are often mandatory when you replace fixtures.
Q: Should a city look at solar-powered poles for remote areas where running power is expensive?
A: Yes. Solar lighting is a great tool to bring lighting to spaces that have no access to power.
Q: Are Fonroche solar lighting products manufactured in the USA?
A: Fonroche is a French-based manufacturer of solar lighting. Check with them on BABA compliance.
Q: Why doesn’t the light on my street turn on when it starts getting dark?
A: The root cause of streetlights not turning on is typically a failed photocell.