What Solar Lighting Can Do and How It Works

We wrote about the ecological advantages and great savings that can be realized by implementing solar power in public lighting in the previous article. Due to the increasingly developed technology, this lighting can now be used without the electricity from the power grid, or parallel with it, and the applications range from roads, parking lots, through sea and river coasts and islands, industrial zones, to parks, pedestrian and cycling lanes. We will now look into some technical aspects and types of solutions by Signify, a world leader in professional lighting.

Integrated or non-integrated solution?

Depending on the configuration, solar solutions can be split into two groups: the so-called all-in-one solutions and non-integrated ones. The all-in-one solutions entail lights which have a solar panel on the upper side of the casing and a driver and a battery inside the casing, whereas, in non-integrated solutions, the light has a driver in the casing, and the panels, the charging controller and the battery are mounted separately. Each solution has its own advantages and flaws compared to the other one, so, they should be kept in mind.

The all-in-one solutions are more practical from the aspect of mounting, because they don’t require a separate installation of panels and batteries, but on the other hand, the temperature range of the environments they can work in is slightly narrower – from –20 to 35 degrees Celsius for operations (nighttime battery discharging), and from 0 to 45 degrees Celsius for daytime battery charging. The maximum luminous flux of these lights is 6,000 lumens at the moment, but thanks to the rapid development of solar technology, it will soon exceed the threshold of 10,000 lumens.

In non-integrated solutions, the battery is dug into the ground and the range of the operating temperature and the battery charging is wider, from –20 to 55 degrees Celsius. Non-integrated solutions feature a greater choice of optics and flux systems of up to as many as 15,000 lumens, so they can light the given surfaces with even more precision and efficiency than integrated ones. Another advantage of non-integrated solutions is the possibility of installing vertical solar panels on the light pole, which enables a lower impact on the appearance of the environment than in the case of horizontal panels, which require a carrier. Still, it has to be kept in mind that vertical panels have a lower capacity than horizontal ones, so their possibility of application is slightly narrower too.

Independent or hybrid charging?

For a long time, solar lighting was associated only with areas without a power grid. However, thanks to the development of a hybrid system (combined charging and powering), it is now possible to efficiently use solar energy in areas where a power grid exists. That is why it’s important to highlight here some differences between off-grid and hybrid charging.

Depending on the type of charging, solar solutions can be divided into two groups: independent (also known as off-grid or stand-alone) solutions and hybrid solutions. In choosing the type of charging, the first question to be answered is: is the road or the area that is being lit of critical importance? If it is – and, of course, if the power grid is already present – our recommendation is to use the hybrid solution.

Stand-alone (off-grid) solutions are ideal for areas in which there is no power grid, as well as for lower-grade roads, rural areas, parks, cycling and pedestrian lanes and similar zones in which lighting is not critical, as is the case, for example, with highways.

Hybrid solutions collect solar energy and accumulate it in a battery whenever possible, and when there’s not enough of it (in case of very cloudy weather and lower sunshine duration), the battery is charged from the power grid, which ensures that there’s always enough electricity for the lamp. For higher-grade roads and in general, for areas in which there already is a power grid, hybrid solutions provide the possibility of great electricity savings, while at the same time ensuring security, because the streets are never dark.

Additional advantages

All the lights for external use by Signify, including the solar ones, have an additional advantage: Service Tag (QR code), which is created for each light individually. A simple scan of the code with a mobile phone using the free app Signify Service Tag gives all the important information about the configuration, assembly, maintenance and spare parts for all lights. This enables an immediate finding of the information about the configuration of the product and saves precious time for servicers and installers in the field and prevents errors. With the help of a special app (through Bluetooth), light dimming regimes can also be programmed.

There is also an option for installing passive infrared (PIR) movement sensors. When a sensor does not detect movement, the lighting level is reduced to 30%, which reduces the consumption and increases the energy reserve in the battery. All solar lights have the option of an additional protective coating, which enables the installation and unobstructed operations on sea and river coasts and islands as well.

Additional savings and benefits can also be realized by connecting solar (and other) lights and by controlling through the Interact City app by Signify, which enables remote control of lighting, creating light scenarios and consumption optimization.

Have a question?

The world company number one when it comes to conventional, LED and connected lighting, Signify offers support every step of the way, from the idea phase, through design and realization. If you have any dilemmas about choosing a solar solution, any technical or any other kind of question, and/or you want us to send you brochures and additional materials, feel free to contact us.

Signify International B.V. Ogranak Beograd

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