Ann Arbor pioneer in using LED for street lighting

Ann Arbor, Michigan will be the first city in the United States, and to my knowledge, in the world, to only use 100% LED lights for their street lighting. In addition to saving US$100.000 per year in electricity costs, it is estimated that CO2 emissions will be reduced by the equivalent of taking 400 cars out of traffic. Lighting stands for more than 20% of all the power consumed in the United States.

LED lighting has been discussed earlier on this blog, here and here. LED lamps offer several advantages over traditional bulbs, as well as CFL low energy bulbs.

Trade tariffs against cleantech

The European Commission has extended the European import duties on efficient light bulbs. The tariffs are supposed to protect European light bulb producers from their Chinese counter parts. This is problematic from a cleantech trade point of view. It means higher prices for consumers and less incentives to improve domestic and commercial building energy efficiency in Europe. Further on, it is a hinder for the development of the environmental technology industries in emerging economies.

However, perhaps could European LED and OLED lighting producers benefit from this?