It’s reported that Ruud Lighting’s new LED streetlights on 92nd St. near Highway 20 in Sturtevant can be powered down to save energy during the overnight hours. Now their wireless lighting-control system flickered to life. A split second after a technician inside Ruud Lighting's warehouse typed a command into his laptop, streetlights along 92nd St. outside blinked off, then back on.

Christopher Ruud, executive vice president of Ruud Lighting said as LED lights have grown in popularity, the company looked to improve upon the technology by adding a control function. A number of municipalities, including the City of Racine, have installed LED streetlights. But the lights still operate under an old system, turning on at dusk and off at dawn. Ruud Lighting decided to give municipalities control over the brightness of their streetlights.

The control technology has been in development for several months. Recent test was the first time Ruud Lighting demonstrated the control system to the public. Ruud pointed out that using the technology, municipalities could dim streetlights during low-traffic hours, cutting energy costs. Utility companies could charge municipalities on a sliding scale of energy use rather than the flat monthly rate.

Recent demonstration tested two control systems. One runs through existing power lines and electrical grids. The other uses wireless radio frequencies to adjust the lights. Different customers see strengths and weaknesses in the different technologies, Ruud said, they want to examine the pros and cons of both systems.

LED lights glow whiter and use about half the amount of energy that traditional lights do. LEDs also can last up to four times longer than other types of lights. The new controls could save users up to 50% on energy costs, on top of the savings that LED lights already offer, Ruud said.