The requirements of features and specifications of solar street lights can vary depending upon the circumstances under which the street lights have to be installed. However, in case the solar street light has to installed for common use then there are some recommendations that customers can follow in order to obtain standard results for their requirements. In this article, we will discuss the recommendations that customers can follow in order to determine solar street light features and make a determination of specifications that they require for the features.
Solar street light features and key specifications
In the next section, we will discuss important streetlight features and specifications that customers can ensure in order to obtain standard results from the operation of the solar street lights.
1. Product recommendations
The first set of recommendations that are important for customers to consider are the product recommendations i.e. that are related to the operations of the product. A street light system has a number of different parts for which different specifications are available and customers can research the market in order to acquire the most suitable specifications. The product recommendations for solar street light features are given as below:
- Street light: It is recommended that LED street lights should be used because they are capable of operating at greater efficiency as compared to traditional lights and provide better quality results. In case the solar street light has to be used for common use then customers should aim for purchasing a street light having the rating of 6-40 watt. Solar street lights in this range will be able to satisfy the requirement to the customer. Some customers tend to purchase street lights having rating higher than this value but it only leads to increasing the cost of the system without providing greater value. The LEDs of good quality brand should be used, which is capable of providing a long working life. The colour temperature of the ‘output provided by LEDs should be in the range of 6500 to 7000K.
- Solar panel: It is recommended that a good quality solar panel should be purchased for the smooth operation of this street light for a longer period. In case users want to operate a solar street light of 6 – 60 watts then it is recommended that a solar panel of 60 watts should be installed alongside because it will be able to operate the lights smoothly for a longer period of time. A solar panel of higher ratings will be able to provide greater power but it will not be required under normal circumstances. The Solar Panel should have an efficiency greater than 17% in order to provide good quality results.
- Battery: A battery capable of supporting the operation of the solar street light for 5 days should be installed in order to ensure that the solar street light will be able to perform appropriately in case exposure to sun is not available to the solar panel for a few days.
- Pole material and height: It is recommended that a pole of high-quality material should be used for installing the solar street lights because they have to withstand atmospheric conditions that can wear them down over the course of the time. Similarly, it is recommended that a pole of 4-5 meters should be installed for common use of solar street lights because at this height, pole will be able to cover an appropriate coverage area and also maintain intensity of light that is suitable for people. Increasing the height of the pole will increase the coverage area while decrease the intensity of the light and vice versa. Therefore, the height is a suitable tradeoff between coverage area and intensity of light.
- PIR sensor: A PIR sensor should be used which is capable of operating street lights depending upon real time data obtained from the surroundings. It is recommended to use a PIR sensor capable of operating street lights in three different working modes.
2. Operation recommendations
The operation recommendations regarding solar street light features that are important for the performance of solar street lights have been discussed in this section.
- Working modes: The solar street light should be applicable of operating in 3 working modes. The output of provided by street light depends upon the conditions in which it is operating. For example, when there are people around the street light then it should be capable of providing 100% output while when there is no one around then it should either turn off or operator 30% output.
- Timing modes: A solar street light should be capable of operating in different timing modes depending upon the requirements of the surroundings. For example, this street light should operate at 70% power for the first hour, 100% power for the next 4 hours, and 50% offer for class 7 hours. In this way, the street light will operate smoothly for a longer period in a smooth manner.
- Working Time: There should be 3-5 rainy days that a solar street light is capable of operating in a smooth manner without requiring any external support. Customers should select for battery options that are capable of meeting these requirements. However, in case the customer are residing in an area where they experience longer spells of rain then a solar street light with greater number of rainy day support should be installed for better performance.
- Working Temperature: The working temperature of the solar street light should be in the range of -20oC to +60oC. There should be appropriate mechanisms available for operating the light smoothly under different conditions.
- System efficiency: The method for calculating the efficiency of this system is complicated and most companies do not report data in this regard but in case data is available then it should be ensured that a system is capable of operating at greater than 30% of efficiency for providing better results.
Solar street light features: Conclusion
There are some standard recommendations for product and operation requirements of the solar street lights that customer should consider before making informed decisions. They can select the solar street light features and specifications that have been identified in this article in order to get value for their investment and achieve better performance of solar street lights.
