HKU researchers unveil cost-saving LED system they claim is recyclable and can last 10 years
HKU researcher claims ‘disruptive invention’ is energy-efficient and won’t be welcomed by lighting companies as it will reduce sales
Researchers have developed a new light-emitting diode street-lighting system that can last more than a decade and when burned out, allow nearly all its materials to be salvaged as raw material.
Lead researcher Professor Ron Hui Shu-yuen, chair of power electronics at the University of Hong Kong’s faculty of engineering, claimed it was the world’s only sustainable LED street lamp that could be bright, energy-efficient, long-lasting and recyclable.
“It’s not going to be welcomed by [lighting companies] as it means the same LED lamp can be used for 10 years without needing to be replaced, thus reducing sales” Hui said. “It is what I’d call a disruptive invention.”
The products have been tested in hundreds of street lamps across Heshan in Guangdong province, with an additional 8,000 due to be replaced in the mainland city. The previous trial found a “zero failure rate” over a two-year period.
Current LED street lights have an average lifespan of just three years and are highly susceptible to the elements including damage from heat, thermal shocks from extreme temperature swings and lightning strikes.