Take a walk at night. Take your car out for a ride. If there is one thing you would surely always see glistening at you, that would be your street lights. To most people, street lights form an important part of the roads we use today. The services they provide have been made even better and easier to relate with since solar energy came into our lights. Now, most of the street lights we find on our roads are solar road lights. For the fundamentals of how they work, our guide on the solar street light working principle is a helpful companion read.
There are many things you probably did not know about solar road lights. Fortunately for you, we are here to tell you some things that will leave you simply fascinated. Here are fun facts about solar road lights:
Solar Road Lights Do Not Need Grid Electricity
Well, the first fact we would like to pass on is that solar road lights do not really need any form of grid electricity to function effectively. This means that regardless of whether they are connected to the grid or not, they would still provide the light you need at night.
This is all down to the reliance on sunlight. They use renewable energy. This energy can be recharged by simply putting them under the sun. With that, you can get all the lighting you would need to see properly at night. With solar energy powering the street lights, there is little or no need for grid electricity. The implications of this fact are staggering. It affects costs in a big way. First, the government would have no need to increase the taxes citizens pay, as solar road lights actually help to decrease the reliance placed on non renewable energy. It is a win win situation for all parties involved. The U.S. Department of Energy outlines many of these long term cost and environmental benefits.
Solar Road Lights Come in Varieties
If you were thinking that there was only one type of solar road lights, then you might need to think again. With more manufacturers coming up, large varieties of solar road lights are also showing up. Some of them come with integrated components. This means there would be absolutely no need to get the other components or assemble them after you have made your purchase. You would simply have it all together. DEL Illumination is one manufacturer that sells these kinds of solar road lights. Their all in one solar lighting system is a perfect example of this learn more in our post on the 7 benefits of all in one street light technology.
Apart from solar road lights, there are other solar street lights made for other purposes. This would include garden solar street lights, among others. You would realize that as you delve more into the solar energy world, its scope is simply amazing.
The Power of Batteries
While solar road lights often depend on portions of sunlight in order to recharge and produce the light needed, sometimes things do not exactly go as planned. This is usually because of the possibility of extreme, bitter weather. Bad weather means there would be an absence of sunlight. Some bad weather conditions can last for days, and as such the solar road lights may be starved of energy. This is where the batteries come into play. Batteries have the ability to make solar road lights function longer than they usually would.
Batteries store energy that can be used for days, even during bad weather conditions. The number of days a battery would be able to work varies depending on the type of battery you use. Most durable batteries can last up to a week without sunlight when they are fully charged. This fact makes batteries one of the most important components of the solar lighting system. Our 10 tips to maintain your solar street light battery help you get the most from them.
Great Market Forecast
Did you know that solar road lights have a market of their own? They do, and this market is not as small as you would think. The global solar street lighting market has been valued in the billions of dollars and continues to grow strongly year on year, driven by rising demand for renewable energy, government sustainability initiatives, and rapid urbanization. Analysts expect this growth to continue steadily over the coming years. That says a lot about the potential of solar energy when dealing with street lights and the incredible functions solar road lights carry out even today. This growth is closely tied to the role solar road lights play in global economic growth.
Charles Fritts and the Solar Street Lights
Now, one question many have probably never asked is the origin of solar street lights. Well, the first time in history that solar street lights were considered to even be a possibility was way back in 1839. This was by Edmond Becquerel. He discovered that solar energy could be used to generate light and electricity. However, the very first person to create a solar cell would be Charles Fritts.
Since then, the evolution of solar street lights has been remarkable. When the first solar cell was created, the efficiency levels of the solar panels and cells used were believed to be at about 1%. Today, that level has increased to over 20% in modern commercial panels. We can only wait to see what the future holds for the solar industry. However, one thing we know for sure is that solar road lights have been with us longer than we probably think. See how the technology has advanced in our post on what photovoltaic street lights are.
Other fun facts worthy of mention are that solar road lights are very easy to maintain and do not really use external cables to work. Of course, the exception would be the batteries, which need to stay connected. However, the solar system largely depends on its solar panels. For upkeep guidance, our 6 tips for solar street light maintenance are worth a read.
Solar Road Lights: Conclusion
Here we go! Those are the top fun facts about solar road lights. Are you interested in getting solar road lights soon? If you are, then DEL Illumination would be a perfect manufacturer to check out. Solar road lights will leave you satisfied and completely happy.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. Do solar road lights need electricity to work?
No. Solar road lights do not need grid electricity to function. They rely entirely on sunlight, which charges their battery during the day and powers the LED at night. This makes them ideal for both on grid and off grid locations, with no electricity bills.
2. How long do solar road lights stay lit during bad weather?
Solar road lights stay lit thanks to their batteries, which store energy for use during cloudy or rainy days. The number of backup days depends on the battery type, but the most durable, fully charged batteries can keep the lights working for up to a week without sunlight.
3. What types of solar road lights are available?
Solar road lights come in several varieties, including all in one integrated systems (where the panel, battery, and LED are combined in one unit) and split type systems. There are also specialized versions such as garden solar lights, each designed for different applications and settings.
4. Who invented solar street lights?
The concept dates back to 1839 when Edmond Becquerel discovered that solar energy could generate light and electricity. The first solar cell was later created by Charles Fritts. Early panels were only about 1% efficient, whereas modern commercial panels exceed 20%.
5. Are solar road lights easy to maintain?
Yes. Solar road lights are very easy to maintain because they have no external cabling (aside from the battery connections) and rely mainly on their solar panels. Routine care involves cleaning the panel, checking the battery, and occasional inspections to keep them running reliably.