There are a number of advantages to LED lights when compared to incandescent and compact fluorescent (CFL) lights. LED lights are more efficient and have a longer lifespan. For these reasons, Gwinnett County recently completed the conversion of all of its traffic signals to LED lights. The latest conversion involved an estimated 4,447 traffic modules.

A typical incandescent traffic signal consumes 67 to 150 watts. In comparison, a typical LED traffic signal consumes 8 to 25 watts, depending on size and color. Through this latest upgrade, the County projects an annual reduction in energy consumption of approximately 1 million kilowatt-hours.

LED lights have also been installed at several County-owned facilities. In 2007, County replaced external lights at the Gwinnett Historic Courthouse gazebo. By switching to LEDs, the County cut energy costs by roughly 95 percent for this application. More than 280 exit signs in the Gwinnett Justice and Administration Center have been replaced or upgraded with LEDs. This conversion helped the County reduce its energy consumption per exit sign by over 80 percent. In addition, approximately 90 metal halide fixtures in the Gwinnett Justice and Administration Center’s atrium were replaced with LED lights. This project reduced the energy consumption per fixture by almost 80 percent.