For years we have used the conventional street lights in urban and in rural areas, however, with the innovation in technology and the awareness of climatic changes has helped in the advancement of solar lights. This article will compare solar led light with the normal street light and will help one to see as to why it is important to upgrade to using solar.
Solar Street light vs Conventional or Normal Street light
1. Installation
Solar street lights – It is quick, easy and also cheap to install. The pole is powered with PV panels, led lamp, controller and inbuilt battery which makes it easy to install.
Conventional Street lights – The installation process is a little complicated as there is a tremendous amount of trenching and cable required to connect to grid lines. A large number of workers are hired which adds to the enormous cost and is also very time-consuming. Also, need a battery box to store heavy batteries.
2. Maintenance
Solar street lights – The panels convert solar power into electricity due to which there is no additional electricity cost. It is also quick and easy to charge the batteries. For example, a battery can get fully charged within 5 hours and then can run for the next 12 hours. Extreme weather conditions even during cloudy days do not affect the functioning of the lights. They are designed as dust and water proof. Once they are installed, they are good for the next 5 years.
Normal Street lights – The batteries used in these street lights need a lot of maintenance. From time to time, the batteries need frequent water topping which adds to the labor cost. And since the poles are connected with electricity it becomes very expensive to maintain a street light with high electricity cost.
3. Safety
Solar street lights – Since the poles are wireless and are not connected to electricity cables, it is very safe as there are no external wires protruding and there is no threat of an accident.
Conventional Street lights – Safety is very low. Since there are a lot of wires involved and they are connected directly with electricity it becomes very unsafe as one can get electrocuted and there are high chances of a short circuit. Workers also face a threat of strangulation during the installation process.
4. Environment
Solar street lights – Another great feature of the solar light is that there is a special kind of lens used to maximize light which helps in automatically adjusting the brightness level based on the battery voltage and the running time. In turn, this increases the battery backup time. This special feature enables it to be environment-friendly as it helps in eliminating carbon footprints and gives out clean energy from the sun. Hence, there is no energy cost and no light pollution.
Normal Street lights – It uses grid power which is nonrenewable energy and cannot be replenished. There is a lot of carbon dioxide produced which is harmful to the environment. High sodium lamps or metal halide lamps are used for light which contains mercury and is toxic to the environment. And since the light from these traditional street lights is exposed sideways into the atmosphere, there is a high threat of light pollution.
5. Visibility
Solar street lights – The LED’s in the poles are colored to reach the desired CRI (color rendering index) to resemble sunlight. And so the LED fixtures used in the solar lights provide better visibility at night almost like the visibility provided by the sun during the daytime.
Conventional Street lights – The light from the high-pressure sodium lamps and the metal halide lamps are yellow and makes it very difficult for one to see. These lights are very low in CRI and also cannot provide the type of lighting that is required for a normal human eye to distinguish colors. The glare from these lights also becomes a cause for poor visibility and can end up in accidents for both the drivers and the pedestrians during the night.
With nightlife being very popular, be it for entertainment or for the job, it becomes even more important for the streets to be well lit during the nights as it contributes to the safety of young people and women. And in this article, we have considered the various benefits of using a solar light over the conventional street light. The above-mentioned facts help to understand an important reason as to why in many countries people are switching to solar and are making their city look even more beautiful at night. So you need to compare the options that are available out there and according to your specific circumstances choose the one that fits the bill.