What Do Solar Street Lights Do In The Dark?

Solar Street Lights – A Great Idea in a Sunny Climate. What About Everywhere Else?

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We all know that the sun is perhaps the most powerful resource we have – and tapping into it to power our world is absolutely crucial to our future. Right now, using the sun to light up the night is a fabulous way to use it! But have you ever thought about solar street lights?

They seem like a brilliant idea – but can they work in an area that doesn’t get much sun? Do they need to stay on all the time, or can they switch off if an area is empty?

We tend to take street lights for granted – I hadn’t given them much thought at all. So I was interested to find out a little bit more about them.

There’s the sort-of-obvious stuff, and then there are some really cool options.

The Obvious Stuff About Solar Street Lights

Well, mostly they sit on a long pole to keep them out of the way while they light up the area below them. There’s a solar panel which “absorbs” the sunlight, converts it and stores it in a battery. And there’s a bulb (of course!).

There are sensors to detect if there’s sunlight coming in. If the light stops, it assumes that it’s night time and turns on the lights. The basic structure of a solar street light is the same for any reliable manufacturer, such as Bluesmart.

Solar street lights pay for themselves over time, as they only tap into the electrical grid as a backup, so their running costs are really low.

The Not-So-Obvious Stuff

There are some really interesting customization options that can make solar street lights even better. For example:-

• The solar panel can be static, or the clever ones change angles to follow the sun, thus absorbing more sunlight.
• Some models can connect to the traditional electric grid as an emergency option.
• Some cities prefer that the lights be on throughout the night, while others want it to activate only at certain predetermined times. No problem! They can work on a timer. More advanced designs have motion sensors so they are active in the dark only when there is someone nearby!

Smart Solar Street Lights

Smart solar street lights are really clever! You can attach sensors and connect them to a central network, so a remote control station can monitor things like:-

• The prevailing weather conditions
• The amount of power being stored as the batteries charge
• If maintenance is needed

And of course they can be controlled in real time.

What Happens in a Rainy Climate?

Of course, lighting conditions aren’t always perfect. Not every country or city can manage to have perfect sunlight each day.

Often, normal daylight can be enough to charge the street lights, it doesn’t have to be bright sunlight.

But on dark, perhaps rainy days, other solutions are needed.

The solution to this can vary from model to model, as well as preference. Some cities opt to go with the grid backup option, while others receive enough sunlight throughout the year that they can go with simpler models.

Some areas might work with consultants for specific solar lights that would work with their climate.

Building Standards

The main fixture has to be built to the same standards as ordinary street lights. This means they should be able to take punishment from prevailing winds and other weather conditions. They don’t necessarily need to survive things like a car crash, though they should be reasonably intact afterward if the other standards are met.

Options for Bulbs

Bulbs used can vary, even if most people assume all lightbulbs are the same. Some use compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs), some rely on high- or low-pressure sodium lights. In some projects, this could actually be a requirement.

Others rely on LED lights, and because they are so small, LEDs open up the possibilities of really interesting designs. Companies can make their solar street lights more interesting and aesthetically pleasing, without compromising their ability to light up an area.

And of course, LEDs are very low energy, which make them really suitable for solar power and thus help to fight the climate crisis.

Conclusion

Solar street lights can be a great way for a city government or council to save on electrical bills. These lights can charge up on their own, with little to no burden on the electrical grid. At the same time, they come in enough of a variety that there’s always going to be a model that suits a specific city’s needs and situation.

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Warm regards,

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