Selection Guide For Outdoor Solar Lights

Solar modules

Solar modules consist of rigid solar panels, a metal frame, and some brackets for mounting on poles. The brackets should be properly attached to the frame and be able to withstand the high winds, snowfall,  and other weather conditions that may occur.

Even in the worst case, solar should be properly sized to ensure adequate power is provided. Some solar charging happens even on cloudy days. Ensuring that solar energy can provide enough energy to charge the battery will ensure that the system runs night after night without failure.

solar battery backup

The solar battery backup needs to be sufficient to keep the system powered for more than a night or two. This is because at certain times of the year there will be more than a day or two of severe weather. Therefore, most commercial manufacturers use backups of at least five nights. This storage ensures that there is always ample backup power in the event of inclement weather. This also enables a battery life of five to seven years, which reduces maintenance cycles and lowers maintenance costs over the life of the system

solar lamps

A solar street light fixture is a special fixture that runs on DC power. Most manufacturers have their own line of fixtures and don't use fixtures outside of the main line. This is because extensive testing has been done and a warranty exists on all components.

Solar installations are also more energy efficient than their AC counterparts. This efficiency is because the LEDs operate by default on DC power provided by solar energy and do not require an AC power adapter. This efficiency reduces the power requirement for the same amount of light because you don't waste power by converting it from one type of energy source to another. This also reduces the heat generated by the fixture.