Over the last decade, more and more people have been embracing solar power due to the reduced cost of solar panels, government incentives and the need to combat global warming as well as cut down on the ever-rising energy bills. As a result solar street lights have become increasingly popular all over the world. Local authorities, business owners, learning institutions and individual homeowners are installing solar street lights to light up the outdoors at night in a cost effective manner. There are three basic types of solar street light configurations.
Type 1: Overhead Solar Panels and Batteries
In places where security is an issue, the solar panel, battery pack, lighting fixture, charge controller and switching mechanism can be installed on top of the pole. This configuration, however, is not best suited for windy places since strong winds can shake the pole off its base mounting.
Type 2: Overhead Panels and Grounded Batteries
If security is not an issue, the battery pack and control mechanism can be installed on the ground while the solar panel is installed on top of the street light pole. This allows the pole to stand freely without being weighed down by the heavy battery pack. This type of configuration is suitable for both windy and not-so-windy places, provided there is ample security to protect the expensive battery pack. Depending on the designer, several panels can use the same battery pack to lower installation costs.
Type 3: Separate Solar Power Station
This is one of the best solar street-lighting designs. In this type of system, all the solar panels are installed together in a suitable location, either on the ground or on a rooftop, where they get ample sunlight throughout the day. The control system and battery pack are also installed near the solar panel assembly. Stored energy is first inverted and distributed to all the solar-powered street lights, just like traditional street-lighting systems.
Until recently, there have been debates on the reliability of solar power systems in street-lighting systems but recent developments show that more and more people are coming to realize that the future is powered by green/clean energy. It is important to note that proper design and installation of solar power systems whether for domestic, commercial or street-lighting use will determine how reliable the system will be. Installing a small solar panel and expecting it to power a powerful street light throughout the night is unreasonable. Similarly, installing a large solar panel and using a low-capacity battery to store the energy produced is futile because the battery may not be able to power the lighting system until daybreak.
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