The shift toward sustainable living is driving many individuals, businesses and governments to go green. One of the ways to do this is by using solar street lights. This lighting method eliminates the need to depend on the electricity grid but to generate clean power, reducing the carbon footprint and generally contributing to the health of the earth.
But picking solar street lights is not a slam dunk process. You must carefully consider a few factors to guide you toward making the right decision. While every solar street light has something in common - using the sun’s energy to power up when necessary - they don’t all work the same way.
Some are more powerful and aesthetically pleasing than others. So let’s look at how to choose solar street lights to ensure you get the best results.
You can always go online and pick the first solar lighting offer that appears but that might be an exercise in futility. One way to ensure the solar street lights will last years and produce the desired results is by researching. There are so many vendors of this lighting option and many offer top-quality products.
However, you must find a way to narrow the list until you arrive at the option that works best for you since you can’t buy from all of them. So, check reviews on the products and brands that top your list. Read what past customers and users have to say about their products, especially those with the same needs as yours.
Do the lights deliver according to specifications? How bright are they? How long have they lasted? Ask about the customer service and installation process. Find out the capacity that works best depending on the area you want to cover. These are only a few of the areas to cover before deciding the products to purchase.
The location for the outdoor lighting will determine the type of solar street lights to buy. If you want to pick a product that will prove reliable for years to come, understand the outdoor area you want to cover and the level of brightness you have in mind. Street lighting can be location-specific.
This means some locations will demand more brightness than others if they are prone to mugging and vandalism. The light should be a deterrent to those who want to cause mayhem, so it should be bright. It must also be strong enough to withstand the elements in those areas without wearing out too quickly.
For a place like a park or a recreational place, the light can still be bright but not excessively so. You can consider using something softer and nuanced for the right ambiance. In addition to these, consider the region and how the elements will affect the lighting materials. Some areas, like coastal locations, see a lot of salty water, which causes a high level of corrosion.
This can lead to premature aging and quick replacement, which is not cost-effective. Therefore, choose lighting that works according to specific atmospheric challenges to keep it working for a long time. Find out how corrosive salt water is on metal here.
3. Energy EfficiencyThis factor is as important as the rest because without the right energy efficiency, the solar street lights might not work as well as they should. You must check the battery capacity to determine if it is large enough to power the lights - depending on the number and wattage - for long periods. There’s also the time of year to consider.
For example, winter months see less sunlight and longer nights than other seasons. With this in mind, you will need a lighting option that accommodates the long winter nights and has the capacity to store and convert enough energy to power the lights at night and into the morning. The battery capacity should be large enough to hold energy to power the lights until there’s more sun to produce more energy.
Additionally, some solar panels can draw as much power from the sun as possible, regardless of how weak the sunlight is. The panels are high efficiency and are ideal for areas that have little sunlight or during winter seasons.
Keep in mind the location’s unique sunlight hours when choosing these lighting options. The average number of hours an area gets sunlight should inform your choice of solar street lights. This is a major factor in determining the size of the PV system to purchase.
Suppose a place gets about four to five hours of sunlight a day. The system must be efficient enough to harness as much power from the available sunlight as possible and store most of them. That might also mean getting more solar panels than a place with ample sunlight.
The more panels there are, the higher the PV system, and the larger the battery capacity, the more energy it can store over time. Even if the system is connected to the grid, it will make only minimal use of the national supply, if at all. It is more likely to contribute to the grid’s supply and reduce the burden on the grid.
It’s important to note that some areas see a lot of sunlight, regardless of the time of year. If that applies, the solar lighting option should have high efficiency and energy conversion rate to maximize the sunlight. This resource, https://www.treehugger.com/, has more information on how solar lights work.
Many businesses and individuals love solar power systems because of their low demand for maintenance. But that doesn’t happen by chance; specific manufacturers have designs that require little maintenance, especially considering that some systems are installed in hard-to-reach places.
That brings up the installation method. Solar street lights and all solar power systems are typically expensive and require expertise to install. That expertise usually translates to a lot of money. You must consider the installation process: speed and cost.
The quicker the lighting can be installed, the faster it can go into use. Therefore, a reliable lighting option must be easy to maintain and quick to install. This is especially necessary in a busy area.
Choosing a reliable solar street lighting system requires research and a careful consideration of every aspect of its usage. Take the time to research various top options and narrow the list by reading reviews and learning about the companies’ experience in the field.
You must also consider the location demands, like brightness and aesthetics, sunlight supply, installation, energy efficiency and maintenance, among others. These factors should guide you toward making an informed decision.
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