How are solar street lights becoming beneficial in our lives?
Nowadays, people have seriously started taking a greener approach towards maintaining their health, fitness regime, etc and application of the same to the environment they live in as well. One of the most implemented, eco-friendly solutions to be mentioned is the sourcing of solar energy which plays a very pivotal role in the development of sustainable communities. Places that receive an ample amount of sunlight throughout the year highly benefit from this energy source. Harnessing the sun’s highly renewable energy in order to generate power is a major step towards saving the earth from the pollution of excessive production of greenhouse gases like CO2(carbon dioxide), CH4(methane) and NO2(nitrous oxide) generated by human actions and one of the most basic and impactful applications of solar energy is solar street lighting system(SSLS).
WHAT IS A SOLAR STREET LIGHTING SYSTEM(SSLS)?
Solar street lighting system or SSLS is one of the most cost-effective solutions that can be used to light up your own backyard, streets, parks, billboards, gardens, parking lots and for any other domestic or commercial purposes. There is no need to worry about a large electricity bill as solar LED street lights are wireless and do not depend upon the national power grid, instead it is powered by an in-built battery, PV panels, smart sensors and LED lights. All these components form one compact unit. Integrated solar street lights are so much easier to install compared to the regular ones as they are highly portable, and can be placed in any location, wherever there is ample sunlight.
HOW DO SOLAR STREET LIGHTS WORK?
LED light sources, solar panels, storage battery, solar charge controller, lamp-post and accessory wire rods are the main components of the traditional solar street lights. Whereas,modern all in one solar street lights are composed of the same but with additional advanced features such as night and motion sensors as well as automatic controls. These automatic street lights have solar panels which use sunlight as a power source by absorbing its radiant energy and storing it in the battery. The panels are installed on the pole and charged using rechargeable batteries which will power up and light at night. The storage battery is placed in the specialized battery incubator or underground and the controller is placed in the lamp-post. The solar charge controller is in charge of functions such as overcharge protection, under-voltage protection, light and time control. The risk of accidents such as electrocution is also minimized, thanks to this controller and the wireless feature is definitely another safety bonus. Almost all intelligent solar street lights are weatherproof and water-resistant and have a long life span. Another modern addition to the solar street light is the presence of night and motion sensors.
WHAT ARE THE ADVANTAGES OF SOLAR STREET LIGHTS?
1. A VERY SAFE & SIMPLE INSTALLATION :
When you are installing a regular street light, you may face some obstacles while electric trenching such as underground pipes and other utilities. Whereas the solar street light solutions a non-complicated and convenient installation procedure. All you will need is a strong, concrete base and a battery pit (depending upon the light model). Also, the only kind of cabling involved is the connection from the solar panel to the luminary and absolutely no external wiring is required. This makes it safe from any kind of accidents such as electrocution, overheating and strangulation. Since the solar street light is a self-sustainable and self-powered unit, you do not require any extra manual intervention and also it does not have to depend on any kind of power grid as it charges during the day and switches on during the night.
2. ONE OF THE MOST COST-EFFECTIVE SOLUTIONS :
Considering the long-term benefits, the initial amount of investment including the capital, operation and maintenance costs, integrated solar street lights are a better investment option considering the capital, operation and maintenance costs. In remote areas, the maintenance cost may seem a little high but since these lights require only cyclical inspection and can easily withstand unexpected weather conditions and power cuts, the cost seems reasonable enough for a quality long-run. Another cost cutdown is cable since these automatic street lights are wireless and you also do not have to worry about the occurrence of cable theft.
3. REQUIRES VERY MINIMAL MAINTENANCE :
The maintenance requirement for solar street lights is significantly minimized since it uses photocells and is completely wireless. Another important feature is the solar controller which keeps the fixture switched off while active charging during the daytime and switches on automatically in the dark when the panels stop charging and the batteries come with a lifespan of five to seven years. An occasional cleaning to clear any debris off the panels and battery replacement are the minimum maintenance requirement.
4. ONE MAJOR STEP TOWARDS A GREENER EARTH:
The causes of air pollution are not just restricted to vehicles and factories, but street lights as well. The regular street lights consume a major amount of electricity that is produced from burning fossil fuel since it stays lit throughout the night. Therefore, excessive burning of fossil fuels will result in an increase in carbon emissions.
Did you know that lighting alone is responsible for 6% of global carbon dioxide emissions? So if you switch to the adoption of solar LED street lights it would keep tons of carbon emissions at bay and also reduce the number of power stations. According to the research conducted by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), its discovered that if solar power could be used as one of the cheapest and eco-friendly solutions for energy production, it would significantly reduce
- harmful emissions of carbon dioxide, sulfur dioxide, nitrous oxide,
- reduce pollution and
- land degradation caused by drilling.
5. HAZARD-FREE AND HIGH DURABILITY :
Conventional street lights pose numerous hidden hazards caused due to poor quality of construction, power supply disorder and chaotic cable connections. On the other hand, all in one solar street lights do not have any of the above-mentioned issues since it is wireless and does not have to depend upon the alternating current. Thanks to the recent advancement in solar technology, models of solar street lights are designed to provide very stable performance for atleast ten to twenty years. Moreover, the solar panels and light poles are estimated to last for at least two decades and LED lights out last five times more than conventional, high-pressure sodium lights.
6. AVAILABLE IN A WIDE RANGE OF DESIGNS :
Solar street lights come in a variety of designs with different features, capacities, sizes, etc. Each is designed to satisfy both aesthetical and functional needs. Some of them come with advanced features like solar street lights with remote control, motion sensors and a camera. Two things to be taken into consideration before you purchase any kind of solar street light is the frequency of sunlight and the extent of the location to set it up. There are mainly four types of solar street lights that are popularly used in the country:
This type of street light comes with acrylic fittings that are highly refractive and are very easy to install. They are available in both custom and standard variants.
Solar flood street light is the best option for a large area coverage using less number of light units. Apart from maximum area coverage, this type of solar street light provides the highest level of luminance.
This solar street light is powered by energy-efficient lithium battery and weighs the lightest among all models. It is also very user-friendly.
CONCLUSION
For a community to flourish, the facility for providing undeterred light should be available but not at the cost of your or the earth’s health and that is where the role of solar street lights come in. Since these automatic street lights provide sufficient visibility at any time of the night, they can save numerous lives by reducing the number of road accidents and accidents caused by electrocution. It also helps create a sense of safety and security among communities and even deters crime. The solar street light’s versatile nature makes it suitable for areas such as streets, public parks, parking lots, residential localities and commercial areas. Scientists and researchers continue to work towards exploring better eco-friendly solutions and cost-effective solutions of making solar panels more effective so that in the future it would be affordable for everyone. As discussed above, each of us can contribute to a greener, safer and healthier future by switching to solar powered street lights.
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