As electric power costs have escalated, high-pressure sodium lighting has moved to the forefront as the most economical means of providing illumination in many parts of the industrial plant. This economic advantage has now been extended. In the size most commonly used by plant engineers, life rating has been extended to 24,000 burning hours; in smaller sizes (100 and 70 w), it has been increased from 12,000 to 20,000 hours. With the new lamp life ratings and superior lumen maintenance, HPS systems provide much more light output over the life of the lamp than can be obtained from incandescent, mercury, fluorescent, or metal halide.