The light-emitting diodes (LEDs) are becoming more and more common in traffic lights and are moving into streetlights.

LEDs produce three or four times more light per watt of electricity than standard incandescent lamps do, and they are more than 4 times as efficient as Compact Fluorescent Light (CFL) bulbs, typically lasting  up to 50,000 hours.

The Dialight Corporation, of Farmingdale, N.J., a subsidiary of a British company,  has about one-third of the United States market for LED traffic signals, and is now looking forwards on another target: street lamps. Edinburgh and Pittsburgh are already trying this new lightning system. Even if LED street lamps doesn’t produce much more light per watt than a conventional lamp, it’s strength is to shine in only one direction whereas other lamps shine in all directions. So energy can be save in using smaller and smarter lamps.

For now, these lights are sold between $600 or $700 each, which is at least double the price of a conventional light. According to Roy Burton, the company chief executive, the pay back would take 6 or 7 years. But these smarter lights will be easier to manage, as the company is developing a cluster of lights that communicate wirelessly with one master light equipped with cellphone technology. That should reduce the number of crews out looking for failed lights, he added.

LED can be an innovative solution to reduce light pollution and increase energy savings.