Apart from using a renewable energy source, such as solar energy, turning electricity efficiently into light with the least wastage in form of heat is also another challenge for streetlight design. Besides, it also takes much time and labour to change a light bulb when one is blown.
Dr. Sandy To, Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering, thus designed a modular LED streetlamp head that allows individual LED to be changed without dismantling the lamp holder. Not only does the high-power LED consume less energy and give less heat, the design also emits brighter light with the use of freeform optics. Generally speaking, her new streetlamp head only consumes 1/10 of the energy as in a conventional streetlight.
The project won the Grand Medal-International Press Prize and a Gold Medal in the 36th International Exhibition of Inventions, New Techniques and Products 2008 at Geneva Switzerland.
