The gist of solar street lighting

All you need to know about solar street lighting

Everyone is making the switch to off-the-grid power. Renewable energy solutions have increased in popularity amongst the residential, industrial and commercial sectors around the world. Governments are also taking more of these energy-efficient solutions on board in order to cut costs and help the environment. One of the newest introductions to governmental and engineering industries is solar powered street lighting. We’ve broken down everything you need to know about these products to make an informed decision about the viability of incorporating it on a massive scale. Read below about the components of solar street lighting, how it works, the benefits thereof, and why you need to make the switch from conventional to renewable energy sources.

Components

A solar street light consists of the pole, the lighting unit (LED bulb), a battery box, cables, and of course, the SPV module and the battery box. Everything is self-explanatory, and it would be impossible to operate a solar light without these components. This is also dependent on the manufacturer; some may only supply the lighting system without the solar panel connection (but make provision for it), others may only supply the light and solar connection but without the pole, so double-check the contents of each unit before making or accepting a quote. A project can see the roll out of approximately hundreds of streetlights, so it could be quite a costly oversight.

How it works

Solar panels gather energy from sunlight not heat, contrary to customary belief, and this light energy is converted to electric energy through various cabling. When the sun shines throughout the day, the panel converts the energy, which is stored in the attached battery. Once night time approaches, the battery discharges the converted electrical energy into the power source, which is the lightbulb in this case, providing light to a specified area. Solar powered streetlights operate automatically by turning on at sunset and off at sunrise.

Benefits

Solar powered lighting manufacturers offer a reliable, affordable and efficient solution to using a national power grid to light roads. It is a cost-effective option not only because it is powered by a natural source but also because the LED globes used, provides bright light meaning you’ll require less units per road. These units are particularly useful in communities where there is no access to electricity or where the grid is constantly failing to provide enough kW to power an area. The engineering involved in designing these solar units make it an extremely reliable source of power because there is no chance of failure or breakdown due to a puerile design.

Why make the switch?

One of the most obvious reasons to make the change from conventional to solar lighting is to decrease the pressure on the national power grid, which in turn decreases the need to burn fossil fuels that pollutes our environment. A community that lacks streetlights in general will become a safer place due to the addition of lights that never switch off. This also allows businesses to operate later, which only benefits the local economy.

Contact Bollard Shop for a range of solar light bollard solutions.