In the wake of people becoming more aware of the harm we are causing the environment, many officials are looking for ways to reduce their carbon footprint and do everything in their power to preserve the nature. One of the changes many cities are implementing to that end is replacing traditional streetlights with solar powered ones.
Contrary to the infamous myth, solar street lights can be installed in numerous locations. These lights are not as affected by poor weather conditions and lack of sunlight as much as you were probably led to believe. With the latest advancements in the field, solar street lights have become more than a worthy replacement for traditional ones with a huge potential to preserve precious energy.
Solar street lights are raised light sources which are powered by photovoltaic panels generally mounted on the lighting structure or integrated in the pole itself. The photovoltaic panels charge a regular battery, which powers a fluorescent or LED lamp during the night. The solar panel is among the main parts of solar street lights, since the solar panel will convert solar energy into electricity.
Solar panel are varies from wattage systems. Most solar panels start and turn fully off automatically by sensing outdoor light employing a light source. Solar streetlights are made to work through the entire night. Solar lights installed in windy regions are usually built with flat panels to higher cope with the winds. Each street light may have its photo voltaic panel, independent of other street lights. Alternately, a number of panels could be installed as a central power source on a different location and supply capacity to a number of street lights.
In this article, we’ll go through what makes solar street lights a great green choice for eco-friendly cities of tomorrow.
Traditional Street Lights are Less Efficient
The main reason why traditional street lights are still the primary choice in most cities is the myth that solar street lights are not as efficient. In fact, traditional street lights are much less efficient. They generate high energy costs, are not reliable, need frequent and expensive maintenance, they are expensive to install and on top of all that, they produce dangerous CO2 emissions.
LED and Solar Make a Perfect Couple
Did you know that traditional street lighting accounts for approximately 40% of the electrical costs in an average-sized city. The best way to reduce this percentage is to switch to remotely-controlled LED lights. LED lights provide equal, if not better, lighting for a fraction of the cost of traditional lights.
On the other hand, solar-powered LED streetlights make for an ever more energy-efficient solution. They work on clean energy and can provide the same amount of illumination as grid lights with LED bulbs.
For example, Barcelona saved around 30% of energy by replacing traditional lights with smart technology assets. One of the key concepts in conserving energy and optimizing street illumination is light on demand. Decreasing the brightness of the lights to 50% at night could save millions in energy consumption. The same goes for motion sensors and solar lights.
Lower CO2 Emissions
As we already mentioned, traditional street lights produce carbon dioxide as a side effect. If traditional lights were replaced with solar lights, the energy consumption would drop by more than 52% globally. This would eliminate around 735 million tons of carbon dioxide annually.
Remote Control and Monitoring is Easier
Having complete control of your lighting system remotely will eliminate the need to send a technician to inspect every unit. With modern solar lights, you will always have all the information you need in real-time. This will increase the benefits you can reap from using solar street lights powered by free, green energy. This includes switching off and dimming the lights when necessary.
Author Bio:
Simon Hopes is a renowned author and social media enthusiast. Please review the below contact details:
Contact Greenshine New Energy at
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949-609-9636
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