How much does it cost to keep a traffic light system switched on? Build the system, set the operating hours and the energy price: the calculator returns annual consumption, cost and emissions, and the comparison with the same system using incandescent lamps.
Start from a typical system:
Annual cost—
- Average power draw
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- Annual energy
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- Annual emissions
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- Cost over the horizon
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A traffic light lights one lamp at a time: the power shown is per lit light.
How it is calculated
Eyear [kWh] = Σ ( ni · Pi · hi ) · days / 1000 Cost = E · €/kWh CO₂ = E · kg/kWh
For each component: n quantity, P power in watts, h hours per day it is on. A traffic light is normally on 24 hours a day (red or green), a dock light only during loading.
Reference power ratings
| Component | Power | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Chronos (CHR…) | 2 W a 24 V · 5 W a 230 V | Per lit light, multi-voltage |
| Apollo LED (ASF25L…) | 2 W a 24 V · 5 W a 230 V | Per lit light |
| Apollo with lamp (ASF1R, ASF2RV…) | 70 W | E27 lamp, 230 V |
| ERA200 | < 11 W | 230 V, night dimmer at 50% |
| ERA80 | 1,5 W | 24 V |
| ASFSW230 selector | 4,6 W | 230 Vac, 0.02 A |
| Dock lights | 20 · 30 · 50 W | ALPDF20 · ALPDC30 · ALPDC50 |
| VIACONTROL control unit | ≈ 2,3 W | 0.01 A declared, estimate at 230 V |
Why LED changes the bill
A lamp-based light draws 70 W per lit light; the same light with LEDs draws 5 W at 230 V. On a system that is on all year, the difference is over 560 kWh per light. Besides energy, LED eliminates the periodic replacement of lamps.