As objects, streetlights tend to recede into that dull tangle of structures that keep our towns and cities running smoothly. They generally aren’t intended to draw any notice. But maybe its time to start appreciating the possibilities. When well designed–which the typical American streetlight is emphatically not–they can make our urban environments more appealing and livable. Part of that challenge includes making them more sustainable: At present, street and highway lighting in the U.S. accounts for 2 percent of overall electrical demand. Simply using energy-saving LED light bulbs would eliminate 9 million tons of carbon dioxide emissions each year, according to one estimate.
But swapping in new bulbs is just a start. A few visionaries are already re-imagining the streetlight in bold ways, designing devices that use less energy and improve our urban landscapes. Here are some of their brightest ideas:
“The Seagull” Streetlamp - Like the Light Blossom, the Seagull is designed to be the self-powering device. The main difference is that this one already exists. Installed in Tokyo near the Panasonic Center, this device is entirely off the grid. It has a solar panel and a rotating, vertical-axis wind turbine. Energy gathered from the these renewable sources is stored in batteries that power the lamp at night. (Photo via hyperexperience.com)
The NYC LED Lamp - Last year, New York City’s Department of Transportation contracted with a company called Office of Visual Interaction to produce new LED-based street lighting radically different in form and function from existing lamps. The new light poles are sleeker and allow beams of light to be directed in different directions — meaning one lamp can illuminate both the sidewalk and the roadway. Though still currently under review, the program could eventually result in the replacement of the city’s entire stock of 300,000 lamps and reduce their overall power usage by 25-30 percent. (Image at top: OVI)
