QUANTIFYING AND COMPARING THE LIFE-CYCLE COST OF LIGHT EMITTING DIODES AND CONVENTIONAL STREETLIGHTS

Today, lighting accounts for 19% of the world's electricity consumption and 6% of the CO2 emissions. Currently, streetlights are converted to more sustainable solutions that are more energy-efficient and cost-effective for both the central and local governments. This research aims to measure and compare the life-cycle cost of light emitting diodes (LED) and conventional streetlights. This is achieved by firstly determining the energy use of LED streetlights compared to conventional streetlights and secondly, determining their total cost of ownership, to encourage municipalities and key decision-makers to evaluate the merit and costs of streetlighting projects. A cost framework for the life cycle has been developed from available literature to measure the life-cycle costs of both streetlight technologies. The selected mathematical formulas have been categorised and applied using secondary data. It is known that the post-acquisition costs are a major part of the life-cycle cost for both streetlight technologies. By comparing the research findings, streetlights with conventional technology tend to use 54% more energy compared to LED technology. The study also records a cost saving of between 17% to 28% of the total cost of ownership over a year in favour of the LED technology.