Street lights are raised sources of lights that are lined up on a street to illuminate it. They are commonplace in every modern society and community today. Asides providing illumination for both pedestrians and car drivers at night, they also serve as a form of security to ward off unruly acts that may be perpetuated in the dark. Also, they add a particular feel and ambience to different locations where they are erected, making a city beautiful to behold at night.
Street lights, depending on the society or community in which they are located, can be powered by different forms of energy sources including fuel, gas or solar. While the previous two have been used for a long while, solar is a technology that is evolving but at the same time is now widely accepted and used in various places.
Solar street lights are those powered by energy from the sun through solar panels that are either mounted on the lighting pole or embedded into it. You can see this article to read more about this. The panels during the day supply charges to a rechargeable battery that in turn powers a LED or fluorescent lamp at night.
Uses and Benefits
Solar street lights are used for illuminating:
- Highways
- Bridges
- Municipalities
- Roads
- Construction sites
- Car parks
- Development projects
They are also useful in rural areas as they are independent of the power grid. They do need wiring nor need to be connected to any power source.
Its benefits include low maintenance and no risk of accidents as external wiring is eliminated. This energy source is also clean, renewable and does not pollute or constitute any form of nuisance to the environment. Other benefits include saving continual cost as you buy only once. The only component you might need to change from time to time are the batteries and that will take at least 5 years.
What are the Different Components of a Solar Street Light?
Street light poles are either powered individually, by having photovoltaic panels and batteries which is most common, or from a central source of power from installed panels which in turn supply each pole.
The different parts and components of a Solar Street light include:
Photovoltaic Panels:
This is the part that receives solar energy from the sun. It is usually referred to as solar panels and they vary in wattage. It converts the energy from the sun into charges that can be stored in the battery. It is of two types: mono-crystalline, which has a higher conversion rate, and polycrystalline. Solar panels can be fitted with automatic dusk to dawn systems whereby it lights up in the evening when it is beginning to get dark and goes off at dawn when light rays start filtering in. This helps to conserve energy.
Rechargeable Batteries
Next are the batteries which store charges from the panels during the day and release it to power the fixture at night. The life cycle and capacities of batteries vary and this is important as it will determine how long the battery will last before it needs to be changed. It will also determine how much backup power it can hold.
Different battery types also exist. The gel deep cycle and the lead-acid are the two most common with the Lithium-ion batteries also gaining popularity.
Depending on your choice of battery and location, you will need to change them every 5-7 years. Some lithium-ion batteries, you may see are advertised as LiPo meaning lithium-ion polymer battery, can last up to 12 years.
The Lights
This is the whole essence of the matter. You can’t have a solar panel and a battery without an output for them. Different manufacturers have different designs for the lighting fixture.
Light-emitting diodes (LEDs) are by far the most used source of light while some may use fluorescent lamps. LEDs are more luminous and at the same time consume less energy; up to 50% less than fluorescent or any high pressured sodium (HPS) light. LEDs also do not need to warm up so they are more efficient.
Poles
Because street lights are meant to be raised, except when attached to a tall building which is not usually the case, they must have poles. These must be strong because of the mounted panels in models that use that and should be able to withstand strong winds and hurricanes.
Buying and Installing Solar Powered Street Lights
Whether as a private, a commercial or a government entity, when buying and installing solar lamps, it is advisable to contract manufacturers who produce them, have experience and can customize them to your needs. For such solutions, you may check out this website https://www.solarlightingitl.com/solar-street-lighting/. They will also provide you with technical support if and when needed.
Experienced manufacturers and retailers will not just install your system but will take into consideration several other factors like where the sun rays are most powerful, the direction of the lights, climate conditions such as wind loads and winter elements that may be of disturbance and will work to make it efficient, effective and to last for a long time.
Once you work with the right company, you will enjoy the full benefit of going green with solar.
