A large part of our time is spent outdoors in the evenings in the Middle East making street lights not just an optional extra, but an essential.

Whether for public or private projects, street lights provide not only a much needed form of artificial light, but are also crucial in reducing accidents - the number of accidents can be cut by as much as 40% through use of street lights, according to statistics from the Dubai Road's and Transport Authority (RTA).

And on the back of the construction boom in the GCC, they are proving big business in the region with in addition to authorities upgrading street lighting in public areas, private investors pouring huge sums into street lighting for the various residential and commercial projects under development.

The government of Oman, as one example, recently announced it is currently spending US$275 million on street lighting projects.

Types of lights

HPS provides most of the street lighting in the GCC and is considered the lighting of choice for most of the world due to the fact that it requires a lower amount of energy relative to the amount of light produced.

Critics of HPS, however, say it is not appropriate for more aesthetic street lighting projects, because of its poor colour rendition.

"Issues of optimum energy efficiency tend to favour certain lamps which compromise the colour balance in the lit environment, which in turn may cause psychological discomfort to pedestrians in such vicinities," says Ziad Milli, lighting designer at landscape practice Cracknell.

An alternative to HPS is Metal halide (MH) lighting. MH lamps are used by Dubai's RTA in residential areas, and are considered suitable for use in areas that require heightened security, because of their white light and excellent colour rendition.

"Metal halide is very useful in town centres and cities where CCTV and crime reduction is an issue," notes Brian Glynn, exterior lighting manager at design firm Atkins.

MH lamps are also considered energy efficient - a key consideration for developers given that street lighting accounts for approximately 19% of all electricity consumption.

Vikash Banwarie, marketing manager at Philips Lighting Middle East, claims that use of MH lighting for a street project in Germany resulted in energy savings of 50% per lamp post per year. HPS lights remain slightly more energy efficient than MH lamps, although the gap is closing.

New innovations

Other new technologies may also play a role in street lighting in the future. The last few years have seen a dramatic change in advances in street lighting, according to experts.

"There have been more developments in lamp technologies over the last five years than there have been in the preceding 25," says Glynn.