@niall i'd Rather have HPS over LED yes (For streetlights anyway) i've seen LED installations and usually the color is better but the illumination is much dimmer than the original lighting.
Ceramic Metal Halide is better IMO...than say....traditional quartz MH,and it seems like a Viable Option,but so does induction....
Ummm Niall I have some HPS that was in service for 20 years and removed from service and given to me, still working...I have one from 1977....its a base down only HPS....and my first HPS lamp in collection was from a fallen posttop and had more than 8 years of service plus I also have another lamp that was installed the same time as the one from fallen posttop, except it was in service for 10 years instead and still working, I got that one from my former's house street...(the court where I used to live). Those 2 latter HPS lamps were Philips from 1997.....before ALTOs.......athough I have some ALTOs that made it more than 5 to 7 years....
I have a lot of used HID lamps used from different streetlights....
I have some more used HPS lamps that has lasted really long.....the only thing I have never really seen is really long used MH lamps....
CMH has been around longer than you think actually...they are actually past the first expermimental ones....the first ones were made before I even was born, first ones came out in 1981 so it was 30 years ago when they first were created! HPS didn't take this long....the TRUE experimental source of general and streetlighting are actually LEDs!
I have a pair of HPS lamps that were installed in 2002 and still worked (although it started to leak) when they were removed in 2010. I noticed that newer HPS don't seem to last as long.
CMH is still a technology that is growing in popularity. Sylvania recently introduced a new 200w CMH that is as efficient as HPS and has a 24000 hour life. The color temp is 4000K and the CRI is 90, pretty impressive. I have seen CMHs in street lights they are nice.
Oh Jace, the CMH lamp was invented in 1981, but none were sold until 1995. Remember even LEDs are not entirely new, the first one was invented in '62.
Dave, if you carefully read what I said, I said general lighting (as in use for making dark rooms bright) and as for streetlights.....technology is new......but as in indicators, they are very old!
Jace, I am saying LEDs are not entirely new! I didn't say the first white LED was invented in '62, it was around '93 or so. All of us know that red LEDs have been around since the 70s.
Around the very late 60's to early 70's sounds about right. I know 50w HPS and 35w HPS and 750w HPS are newer than 70, 100, 150, 200, 250, 400, and 1000 watt lamps. Those three had to be invented after 1977 because those 3 wattages weren't an option on the '77 GE roadway catalog.
it's funny how Mercury went out of style....Mercury Vapor Lamps were invented in 1934 i think,they peaked in popularity during the 50's and 60's and the 70's and 80's pretty much spelled an end to the Mercury Vapor Era.
Icetrons for electric companies who's terrible in maintaining streetlights......
CMH for good and fast streetlight maintaining companies!
Ceramic Metal Halide is better IMO...than say....traditional quartz MH,and it seems like a Viable Option,but so does induction....
I have a lot of used HID lamps used from different streetlights....
I have some more used HPS lamps that has lasted really long.....the only thing I have never really seen is really long used MH lamps....
the only HPS Lamp i have is a Faux Westy 400 Watter....cost 28 Bucks...i dont know if thats a good price or nott.
Oh Jace, the CMH lamp was invented in 1981, but none were sold until 1995. Remember even LEDs are not entirely new, the first one was invented in '62.
@joe id like to see those indicators....and the first LED's as well too.