Novel Nano-Coating Technology Holds Promise for Enhancing LED Street Light Energy Efficiency
Scientists from King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) and King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology (KACST) in Saudi Arabia have collaboratively developed an innovative nano-coating technology, which is expected to significantly boost the energy efficiency of Light-Emitting Diodes (LED) street lights and cut carbon emissions.
Published in the journal Light: Science & Applications, the study notes that widespread adoption of this technology in the United States alone could reduce carbon dioxide emissions by over 1.3 million tons annually.
Lighting is a major energy consumer, accounting for roughly 20% of global electricity use and nearly 6% of greenhouse gas emissions. Street lighting alone makes up 1-3% of global electricity demand, burdening municipal authorities. While LEDs are high-efficiency light sources, around 75% of their energy converts to heat and dissipates during operation. High temperatures not only reduce luminous efficiency but also shorten lamp lifespan, making effective thermal management critical to enhancing LED performance.
The research team’s core innovation is a nanomaterial called nanoPE (nanoporous polyethylene). Made from common polyethylene, this material features 30-nanometer pores (about one-thousandth the diameter of a human hair) via a special manufacturing process. Its unique property is high-efficiency transmission of infrared light (the primary source of thermal radiation) – over 80% – while reflecting more than 95% of visible light.
To maximize nanoPE’s benefits, researchers propose installing LED street lights coated with this material “upside down.” In this setup, thermal energy (infrared light) from the lamps passes smoothly through nanoPE, radiating upward to the sky for dissipation, while visible light needed for downward illumination is effectively reflected to the ground. This differs sharply from traditional LED designs, where heat is trapped internally and lamp heads face downward.
Experimental results confirm that the nanoPE coating lowers LED temperatures by 7.8°C in laboratory settings (boosting efficiency by ~5%) and 4.4°C in outdoor field tests (a ~4% efficiency gain). Lead researcher Professor Qiaoqiang Gan emphasized that even minor efficiency improvements can exert a significant impact on sustainable development when deployed on a large scale. Co-author Dr. Hussam Qasem added that the design enhances heat dissipation while maintaining high lighting efficiency, making it a promising solution for sustainable lighting.
