As the name suggests, solar street lights are lights that are powered by photovoltaic panels/solar panels. The panels are usually fitted on the device itself or fixed in the pole that comes with the light. The solar panels trap solar energy emitted by the sun and store the energy in a chargeable battery that powers the light during the night. Solar street lights are designed to function throughout the night and have sensors that automatically turn the light on or off by detecting outdoor light. A lot of the newer models of street lights are equipped to run for more than one night in case of bad weather that obstructs sunlight. Solar lights that are erected in windy locations come with flat panels to nullify the effects of winds, for example equipment damage due to strong winds. Advancement in technology has also benefited solar street lights as the latest models have wireless technology backed with proper battery management.
Components of Solar Street Lights
Most street lights consist of five main parts as listed below:
- Solar Panel
- Lighting Fixture
- Rechargeable Battery
- Pole
- Foundation Cage/Battery Box
Solar Panel – Solar panel helps to convert solar energy into electricity, by the virtue of this function alone it is one of the most important components of the device.
Lighting Fixture – Since LED lights provide better lighting with lower energy utilization, most modern solar street lights use LED as their source of light.
Rechargeable Battery – Once the solar panel has converted solar energy to electricity, it is stored in batteries that are rechargeable. These batteries recharge itself during the day and provide power during the night. They provide for more than one night but it depends on the capacity of the battery.
Pole – Like any street light, solar street lights also have a pole. The light along with other components like the solar panels are mounted on it. The poles must be strong because they bear the weight of the entire device.
Foundation Cage/Battery Box – These components are basically accessories that come with solar street lights.
Benefits of Solar Street Lights
- As solar street lights are independent of utility grids, the cost of operations are minimized.
- Solar street lights not only cuts down on energy consumption but also reduce costs.
- Since solar street light does not consume fossil fuel to produce energy, it is eco-friendly.
- Compared to conventional street lights, solar street lights require lesser maintenance.
- Margin of accidents is reduced as there are no external wires attached.
- Solar street lights can be easily transported to remote areas as they are not dependent on grids for energy.
- Solar street lights require much less maintenance compared to conventional street lights.
Importance of Solar Street Lights
The world has consciously come together to reduce carbon footprint. So from governments to companies worldwide, everyone is aiming to contribute to this initiative by adopting non-conventional sources of energy and power. Hence conventional lights are being replaced with solar street lights which are eco-friendly with negligible green house gas emission.