When you think about cutting-edge technology, streetlights probably don’t come to mind. Probably because innovation is this critical yet usually overlooked piece of infrastructure has been stuck in slow motion.

We’ve moved from gas lamps to high-pressure sodium (HPS) to LEDs—but each transition has taken decades, and many places are still catching up. Also, unlike most industries, the pace of innovation is slowing and most of the blame lies on bad technology and low-quality products.

There’s an opportunity to turn this around right now. Cities and developers across the country are making the switch from HPS to LED. And while that’s a step in the right direction, it’s not enough. LEDs may be 50% more efficient, but they still rely on the same outdated infrastructure—underground wiring, grid dependency, and high maintenance costs. It’s already 25-year-old technology.

The Cost of Incremental Change

Let’s break down the numbers.

Most cities still rely on high-pressure sodium (HPS) lights, which were considered efficient decades ago but fall far short today. Here’s what that transition looks like:

  • HPS to LED: LEDs use about 50-60% less energy than HPS, saving an average of $200 per light per year in energy costs. Over 10 years, that’s $2,000 per light in savings.
  • LED to Solar: Grid-tied LEDs still require wiring, trenching, and ongoing electricity costs. But solar-powered LED streetlights reduce energy costs to zero.

Now, let’s consider installation costs:

  • Running power to new LED streetlights requires trenching, wiring, and connection to the grid. On average, installation can cost $4,000–$10,000 per light depending on location and infrastructure.
  • Solar-powered LED streetlights eliminate those costs entirely. No trenching. No underground wiring. No reliance on the grid.

A Real-World Example

Let’s take a master-planned community installing 1,000 new streetlights over the next decade. We will look at installation and running cost for traditional grid-tied lights versus solar-powered lighting provided by Streetleaf.

Why Aren’t More Companies Making the Leap?

The numbers check out, so why not? The biggest reason – early technology failures. Have you ever seen a purple streetlight or had a cheap solar light in your garden fade after just a few hours? Past technological failures have led to distrust in an area where reliability is the number one priority.

Solar-powered lighting companies are overcoming this challenge by offering solar-powered LaaS. This usually entails installation, remote monitoring, control, and routine maintenance including battery and LED replacements. These companies also have millions of data points to back up their reliability claims which goes a long way in building trust.

The land development and utility industries have followed the same path for decades—but momentum is growing for solar-powered options now that they are a viable alternative to grid-driven lights.

Now is the Time

Infrastructure needs to keep up with the pace of innovation. Consumers expect smart everything and better customer experience. Solar-powered smart streetlights aren’t just the future—they’re the present. The technology is here, proven, and scalable.

The problem isn’t technology anymore—it’s inertia.

Every year spent delaying a transition to solar-powered lighting is a year of wasted money. Every trench dug for LED installations is an unnecessary cost. Every new LED streetlight installed today that could have been solar means more dollars spent on grid infrastructure that will soon be obsolete.

A Smarter Path Forward

Cities, developers, and decision-makers have a choice:

  • Upgrade to grid-tied LED lights and wait 20+ years for the next upgrade once these lights begin to fail.
  • Leap straight to solar-powered smart lighting and future-proof your infrastructure today.

At Streetleaf, we believe the best way to build the future is to stop relying on yesterday’s technology. The transition to smarter, more resilient cities starts with a simple decision:

Don’t just upgrade—innovate.