Solar street lights and other street light solutions using advanced solar technology

Solar Powered Street Lights, easy set-up and minimum running costs

Solar street lights represent the current technological potential of solar energy. Having been predominantly developed in Africa, Middle East and Asia, this low-cost and environmentally sound street lighting solution now begins to be adopted by more and more European and American communities. Solar power is an environmentally cleaner form of energy production. The basic unit for producing energy is the solar panel itself, which is the means by which the energy given out by the sun is converted into electricity. There are large solar panels, for domestic and industrial use, and there are also many different sizes and power outlets available for use. This wide variety means that one has to be careful to select an appropriate panel for their specific needs. In the context of solar powered street lights, the solar panels used need to be suitable for extreme weather conditions, and capable of producing energy even on cloudy days and able to withstand vandalism and attempts at theft (in Spain when solar panels were first introduced on street light fixtures, many were stolen to be used for use on caravans!). How does the solar lamp know when to turn on and off? The solar panel is connected to a solar controller – a battery charger which is automatically topped up by the solar panel linked to a timer or photocell which ensures that the solar powered street lights operate during the night. Other specific systems employ a further function whereby the light dims at specific times. This lead acid gel battery is completely maintenance free and stores energy. The solar lamp will continue to light up for a few days even if there is overcast . The lamp can be made to light up for up to four days during overcast, according to the clients needs. Please consult with us for your specific needs. There are currently a number of different kinds of lamp commonly utilized in solar street lights, generally dependent on the particular requirements of each individual lighting scheme. Light Emitting Diodes – also referred to as LEDs – are a very good light source. A number of extra bright or even ultra bright LEDs constitute the actual lamp itself. LEDs use far less energy than comparable conventional lamps, have a far longer operating life and give good color rendition. Other lamps which can be used on solar powered street lights include Compact Fluorescent Lamps (CFLs), which generate a white light and are effective for providing good color rendition and High Intensity Discharge lamps (HID). HIDs can themselves be divided into two categories. The first of these HIDs are the Low Pressure Sodium lamps (LPS), which tend to give out a yellowy orange light, thereby being unsuitable for situations in which color rendition is important. These lamps can last for up to 18,000 hours. Metal Halide lamps (MH) are HIDs but produce a much cleaner white light, thus making color rendering much clearer. Both HID and CFL need a high voltage, a specific current, and a frequency in order to function whereas LEDs are much more adaptable. To summarize, solar powered street lights work by using a solar panel to turn the energy from the sun into dc electricity. An electronic circuit then regulates the voltage to a specific value which charges the battery, and then lights the lamp. The lamp itself is managed by a timer or photocell which controls the timing of the lighting. The latest applications of solar powered street lighting can go as far as adjusting the intensity and color of the lights at any given time.

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