The world is increasingly turning away from fossil fuels and toward renewable energy. This effort is motivated by several factors. It includes the desire to save the environment and the high expense of other energy sources. That is why the demand for solar streetlights has increased so much in the present era.
Solar energy is one of the most widely used renewable energy sources. It has several applications in commercial and business settings. Solar energy has several applications, too, one of which is solar street lighting. This energy is utilized to power several types of streetlights. In addition, solar energy is used to brighten roadways in both private residential areas and public institutions.
Regular Street Lighting Vs. Solar Street Lighting
Solar-powered street lights offer several advantages over traditional outdoor lighting. As they are solar-powered, you can charge them essentially for free. Recent advancements in solar technology have made them smart enough to keep their charge for long periods, even if you use them frequently. Most current solar lights include highly effective photovoltaic cells and enhanced circuits that allow your lights to store and utilize energy only when it is required.
This is especially crucial for outdoor lights that are used all year, especially during short cold nights, and there is less time for your lights to charge. Another significant benefit of solar outdoor lighting is that you don’t have to worry about laying unsightly wires across your yard or down both sides of your house to keep your lights on.
How Do Solar Street Lights Work?
During the day, photovoltaic cells gather sunlight to charge the solar batteries, subsequently illuminating the bulb at night. Since solar street lamps are fueled by the sun, they must be installed in a location that receives full daylight – ideally eight or more hours each day. Therefore, solar street lights are made up of components that collect solar energy during the day.
Solar energy is converted into electrical energy by photovoltaic cells, which are then converted into electrical energy. At night, the bulb turns on automatically and drains the power stored in the battery.
What If You Don’t Have Direct Sun?
If you place solar street lights in a desert yard in Palm Springs, they would undoubtedly work at total capacity. But what if you live in Seattle or just have a highly shaded yard? It’s not very straightforward, but you can have solar LED street lights even if you live in a wholly covered location.
A solar street lighting professional can assist with installing a remote photovoltaic panel on your roof or in a sunny region of your yard. After that, it can be hooked to the lights in the gloomy area. So, even if your area doesn’t receive direct sunlight, you can make solar street lamps work.
Factors To Consider Before Buying Solar Street Lights
A solar street LED light may sound attractive but purchasing one does not come without its hurdles. If you think of buying one for your street or your yard, you can do so, but you have to consider a few factors before you make the purchase. The factors are;
HID Vs. LED
Historically, the majority of roadways were lighted with high-intensity discharge lights. The most popular HID metal lamps are an arc tube, an outer envelope, and a starting gas. The ballast provides power to the ceramic or quartz arc tube, which begins ionizing the gas.
Materials in the arc tube evaporate as pressure and temperature rise within the bulb, generating light and UV radiation. These integrated solar street lights are incredibly bright, but they must be changed every few years and are wasteful in energy use. Therefore, these are not practical solar alternatives.
Light-emitting diodes employ tiny microchips to generate visible light within the diode. This method of producing light is incredibly efficient, and the bulbs do not burn out like traditional light fixtures.
Solar street LED lights, on the other hand, exhibit luminosity degradation and gradually decrease over time. However, this is a very gradual process, and your LEDs will not need to be replaced for many years after installation.
Lighting Efficiency
The efficiency of solar street lighting is measured in lumens per watt. This grade is significant because it indicates how much light is produced about the amount of energy consumed. So, it is the total light output divided by input power. Solar lights with high lumen output are not necessarily the ideal choice, and you should consider how effectively the luminaire concentrates its light.
Illumination Levels
The Illuminating Engineering Society of North America provides recommended light levels for many lighting applications that you might look into. The recommended levels are given in footcandles, the basic unit of light falling on a surface. A portable light detector can be used to obtain measurements. A 4:1 ratio between the brightest and darkest areas is an acceptable minimum, while a 3:1 ratio is preferable.
When it comes to solar LED street lights, footcandles are more critical than lumens since they indicate how much light is actually reaching the ground. Color temperature, expressed in Kelvin degrees, is also a significant factor to consider.
PIR Motion Senser
Many solar street lights contain a passive infrared sensor to assist in saving battery life. All things with a temperature greater than absolute zero generate infrared radiation as a result of heat energy. These devices function by sensing infrared rays, which allows the device to sense movement.
Solar Battery Storage Capability
An all-in-one solar street light gathers energy from the sun via photovoltaic cells and stores it in a battery, then utilized for lighting. So, it’s better to buy a solar street light with a panel with a high milliampere-hour capacity.
First, examine the solar panel-to-battery ratio while considering the luminaire energy. Then, check that the panel is powerful enough to charge the battery and that the cell has enough charge to power the light for several hours.
How Much Do Solar Street Lights Cost?
A street solar light price varies from time to time, but the price variation mainly depends upon the energy-storing capacity. For example, a 12w solar street light price will cost $200 in the U.S., while a 20w solar powered street light will cost around $250. The tata solar street light price in India costs around Rs. 14,000- Rs. 21,000 depending upon the watt.
So, as you can see, solar street light price in India is not very much, so people can afford it for their localities. If a locality has a solar street light pole, it will make the community more sustainable and make the people more responsible towards the environment. If you just figure out how does solar battery backup systems work, nothing is obstructing you any more to install commercial solar light posts in your area.
Final Thoughts
We have shared enough details on solar street lighting in this article, and we have also mentioned their approximate cost here. It will help you decide if you are ready to buy one for your locality or not. However, if any more questions are obstructing your purchase of a solar LED street light, you can certainly let us know in the comment box, and we will get back to you.
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Sofia Kelly is a passionate blogger. She loves to share her thoughts, ideas, and experiences with the world through blogging. Sofia Kelly is associated with Instana Green World & Big Jar News.
