As local government and business owners look for ways to improve efficiency and reduce greenhouse-gas emissions, outdoor lighting has become one of the most practical ways for them to reach their goals.


According to “Outdoor Lighting Systems,” a recent report from Navigant Research, the outdoor lighting market is benefitting from this attention. The report examines the global market for outdoor lighting and controls in a variety of public spaces, such as roadways and highways, city parks and public areas, sports parks, commercial site lighting, outdoor parking lots, and university and college campuses.


The report projects robust growth in the outdoor lighting market because of the cost-saving opportunities presented by improvements in the technology. In particular, Navigant observes that LED technology has made great strides over the last few years in efficiency, quality and decreased costs. Although the worldwide stock of outdoor lighting includes a diversity of technologies, including high-pressure sodium, metal halide, induction and fluorescent, advances in technology have positioned LEDs to mostly replace those other technologies in the coming years.


“Recent improvements in outdoor lighting technology have created a fast-growing market for both LED lighting fixtures and lighting controls across all outdoor lighting applications,” said Allison Cross, managing consultant with Navigant Research. “[However,] LED luminaires will quickly take over as the predominant outdoor lighting technology over the next 10 years.”


Navigant projects global unit shipments of LED luminaires to grow from an estimated 16 million in 2016 to more than 28 million in 2025. It projects the overall outdoor lighting market—motion sensors, photo cells, intelligent controls and control software—to grow from $492 million in 2016 to $1.3 billion in 2025.


For more on the potential health effects of LED streetlights, read this month's lighting column, "It's Dangerous to Go Alone!"