First the red glow on 96, now this! Have you noticed more of the streetlights in Houston County turning purple the last few years? It’s actually a problem all over the Southeast and Midwest that was first reported in North Carolina in 2020 – and tens of thousands of them have already been replaced! Here’s what happened…
Starting in 2017, as efficient LED lighting tech became more popular it started being used in streetlights. BUT a widespread manufacturing defect at that time causes the laminate on them to degrade over time, producing purple light instead of white (read further down for more science-y details!)
Local areas have been playing catch-up ever since, including here in Warner Robins, Perry and Centerville. But there’s good news! You can report the offending purple street lights near you to Georgia Power through their dedicated website – they have an online map where you can select the exact location for repair (note: they do require your contact info.)
Okay, I know, you want to know the deets on how the LEDs actually turn purple – here it is, you big nerd!
LED stands for light-emitting diode, which is a semiconductor device that emits light when an electric current passes through it. But white light is actually a composite of other colors, so, in order to create white light from LEDs, a blue LED is coated with a material called phosphor. This material converts the blue light into other colors, like yellow or green, which when combined with blue create white light.
But as the phosphor coating on the LED wears out or degrades, it peels off – leaving the LED emitting only blue light, giving that all-to-familiar purple glow instead. If you want the big, long version that includes story of the scandalous manufacturing defect, click here.
Now be a great citizen – report those purple lights and stay bright, Houston County!