Orca Solar Lighting is a leading-edge Australian company that offers solar street lights. These solar lights are light bollards mounted on cement blocks that stand alone without the need to be connected to an electrical source. Solar Street lights operate with a solar panel and a battery and are ideal for areas where it would be difficult to install traditional electrical lighting. Streetlights include solar lights that are used around bike paths, parkades, and pathways where people walk and get exercise day and night.
Solar streetlights are become more popular because of their ease of installation. Many municipalities are interested in acquiring and installing these lights because they do not require trenching work or electrical hook up. These solar lighting options are becoming extremely popular for many reasons. They have been regularly installed along highway areas that are remote where electrical hook ups are not available. This type of lighting is very well suited where there are areas that are not in shade and where it would not be cost effective to connect lighting to the general electrical grid.
These independent lighting options are the specialty of Orca Solar lighting. They are found in many main thoroughfares including pathways, jetties, marinas, car parks, bike paths and roadways. These bollards are mounted on concrete blocks that can be relocated to any location that they are needed. These lighting options are not generally used in areas where there is electrical power available. This is because the up-front cost is generally quite high, and most people will choose the option that is most cost effective when they are installing a system.
Solar street lights collect energy from the sun through solar panels and store it in a battery. The controller of the system is designed to detect when light lessens (sunset) and then turns the light on, also when the sun comes up, the system turns the light off. Solar lighting systems provide the equivalent to four nights of full battery back up which allows for those long winter nights with the light running at 100% of the available light level. A quality battery can last anywhere from five to ten years if the sizing of the system is accurate. Most of these batteries pay for themselves when they need to be replaced owing to the amount of electrical costs that they have saved over the years.
Solar street lights are extremely budget friendly and are perfect for a wide range of applications in public areas including pedestrian walkways. These lights are designed for certain installations but there are some limitations with size when it comes to battery requirements and the size of the solar panels on the units. Every solar panel streetlight unit includes bird deterrents to prevent birds from sitting atop the panel. There is also a fixture, a controller for the lighting, looms for cable, footing and pole and a large solar streetlight that requires a battery larger than 90AH has a requirement to be marked with miniature circuit breakers.
Is there some kind of an advantage of solar lighting over electrical?
The facts are that solar light installations can save a great deal of money in costs over time. Most of the costs are up front with power systems because electrical cabling must be trenched and run to the lights and cable. Solar energy is renewable and does not require power so it can be moved around with its concrete block footings or on a lighting trailer. These bollards are designed to be moved easily and quickly so they are not permanently bolted in for this very reason.
Are there any disadvantages with solar lighting?
There tends to be up front costs with solar lighting if power is located at the site where the lighting needs to be installed, meaning that trenching and cabling is not required. Solar panels are ideal when direct sunlight is available while locations that are shady pose a challenge with solar panels not being exactly operational. Solar panels do require a constant supply of sunlight to keep operating on a reliable basis.
Are there any common applications when it comes to solar streetlights?
The AS/NZS 1158 Pedestrian lighting systems work well on jetties, pathways, minor roads, parking lots, and side roads or remote roads. Solar street lights can be categorized as “smart” because they can be remotely set up and monitored with sensors that are able to detect movement and heat so that when a pedestrian is approaching the light is automatically boosted to a brighter illumination for a specific amount of time before it returns back to the lower lighting level to save power once there is no one around.
Are there any maintenance requirements for solar street lighting?
Solar panels should be kept clean and the panel should face the equator at an angle from the horizontal. Every fastener should be secure so that water does not collect inside of the pole. Solar lights are engineered to withstand wind and have a decent amount of battery to back up the lights for the evening so that it will stand up to the weather in the location. Nearly all the solar street lighting that Orca deals in have a special LED technology that is more efficient with energy than most lighting technologies. Solar power systems are designed to save energy at every level. The power in and power out of these lighting bollards is designed to be efficient.
Orca Lighting has worked hard to offer the very best lighting possible to its customers. After many years of research, they have decided on the design that they are currently distributing. If you are interested in having solar lighting outside at your industrial or residential building, this type of lighting is a very good option because it offers the right amount of light that is reliable when it is needed. Electrical systems do have failures and are costly to install and maintain but solar is renewable and pays for itself in a short amount of time.
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