GE Exits SOX Market GE Lighting has taken the decision to cease with the manufacture of Low Pressure Sodium (LPS) lamps in 2007 in order to focus on innovative product types to meet the needs of Global street lighting. The significant decline in the sale of LPS lamps is expected to accelerate. The street lighting market has increasingly shifted away from old-fashioned SOX lamps with their low colour rendition and yellow output towards the newer HID technologies - High Pressure Sodium (HPS) and Ceramic Metal Halide (CMH). The market has driven this shift with the demand for whiter light sources that are more aesthetically pleasing as well as providing a safety aspect particularly important in amenity areas and pedestrianised town centres. The monochromatic nature of LPS means that a CRI value does not apply to these lamps, thus the British Standard recommendation for all new street lighting lamps to have a CRI that is greater than 20 means SOX is no longer recommended. It can be demonstrated that where white light is used, reaction times and people comfort are improved Benefits of "white light" Street lighting include: Increased CRI allows for the use of lower lighting class where standards deem it to be acceptable; Reduction in light pollution; Modern systems can be more efficient in the placement of light = fewer poles and lower maintenance costs; Accident prevention; Reduced crime and a reduction in the fear of crime; Promoting the use of streets after dark thus enhancing people freedom to interact and be mobile after dark. HPS & CMH lamps used on electronic ballasts also offer extended lamp life and the potential for dimming in rural areas or during off peak traffic periods. The cost of energy and the requirement for efficient systems needs to be reviewed against the impact on the community as a whole - HPS and CMH lamps provide the vehicle to best address energy and lighting level criteria. www.ge.com