Survey Lighting Users
Light quality is every bit as important as energy and maintenance cost savings when a switch to LED lighting is considered. Everyone has an opinion on lighting because it affects visual acuity, feelings of safety, mood and even how attractive we appear.
An important part of any LED lighting pilot project is gathering input from a cross-section of people who “use” the new lighting and officials who make decisions about lighting. LED City® participants have utilized a variety of feedback methods with good success.
Raleigh officials conducted formal surveys before and after LED lights were installed on one floor of its municipal garage. The LED fixtures for that project were supplied by Lighting Science Group Corporation.
The primary objective of the study was to discover if there was significant improvement in respondents’ overall perceptions of the garage after LED lights were installed. A survey taker was positioned at the garage entrance with a questionnaire that featured a range of questions designed to not necessarily indicate that lighting is the factor of interest.
A total of 400 surveys were completed, 200 before and 200 after the LED lights were installed. Responses were overwhelmingly positive toward the new LED lighting. Positive reactions to the facility’s lighting were more than three times higher after LED lights were installed. Seventy-four percent of the respondents perceived that safety in the garage had improved dramatically. Ratings on maneuverability, cleanliness and number of available parking spaces also improved significantly with the switch to LED lighting.
Anchorage officials invited a cross-section of citizens and officials to take a bus to view its LED street lighting pilot locations. Participants were asked to fill out written questionnaires to report their perceptions of the new LED lighting.
Ann Arbor officials tacked a big yellow sign on each LED light pole that alerted walkers and drivers to the installation of new LED lighting and asked them to email their comments. Residents of the apartments above the new lights were the most opinionated. They reported that the new LED lights didn’t spill over into to their homes at night as had the old street lights.
Feedback from citizens and officials can be formal or informal but it is critical to find out whether the lights are well received before a major installation is deployed.
Energy Star® Go
California Lighting
Technology Center Go
Lighting Research
Center Go
ASSIST Go
California’s Title 24 Go
Unscrew America Go
LM79, LM80 Testing Go
LEDs Rock Tees Go
Questions to Ask Vendors Go
Cree LED Revolution Go
US Dept. of Energy, SSL Go
"The City spends substantial amounts of money every year replacing and maintaining lighting. What the LED City initiative means is not necessarily that we will be spending more, but spending more wisely on emerging technology that will save a lot in the long run... The whole point of declaring this public/private initiative is to develop a long-term plan to save money and take advantage of LED technology to spend smartly. The goal is to get the best lighting value for the citizens of Raleigh and serve as a model for other cities seeking to do the same."
Dan Howe,
Deputy City Manager, City of Raleigh, NC
