Outdoor Solar Lights Can Reduce Energy

Outdoor Solar Lights Can Reduce Energy Consumption For Your City by Brent Crouch
in Technology


The U.S. has 13 million streetlights which use approx. 2 billion kWh of electricity per year and can eat up to 40% of a city's energy costs. At a time when municipalities and states are scrambling to meet budget requirements, the high cost of outdoor lighting becomes a serious issue.
Reducing this energy consumption saves electricity costs and increases renewable energy demand. With many states enacting plans to rely more heavily on renewable energy, solar lighting is one avenue to meet these goals. It's also handy for remote construction and work crews who depend on diesel-powered generators for electricity.
Solar lights can replace any outdoor lighting from a household's porch light to a streetlight to a road sign or billboard spotlight. At the University of California and the National Institute of Standards and Technologies, solar panels on top of parking lot shelters light up the areas at night. Bus shelters and public parking lots in Florida and San Diego are lit using solar panels.
If you've driven down a mountain highway recently, you may have noticed road signs with a little black box perched on top. That solar panel box charges during the day, and lights the sign at night, eliminating the need for electricity in remote or rural areas. Portable solar panel generators, such as GreenTow, have been developed to supply emergency response teams and remote construction sites with non-fossil fuel power. The panels can be towed to a site and generate energy to power generators with a diesel back-up in case of problems.
Outdoor solar lights can be more fun than a garage roof lining or a tow trailer. In Adelaide, Australia, solar light art called Solar Mallee Trees have been operating since 2005. They generate 864 kWh energy, while using only 125 kWh to light their surroundings. The extra electricity is put back into the grid for use elsewhere.
Pittsburgh, PA and Vienna, Italy have similar solar light constructs which tend to be in the shape of a tree or a flower with the petals and leaves sporting solar panels on one side and lights on the other. These types of lights contribute artistically to their cities, generate power for the grid, and reduce dependence on costly nonrenewable energy.
In every sector of the economy, energy efficiency is gaining importance both as a cost-saving solution and as a way to meet efficiency goals. Due to the public nature of this service, it's very citizen driven. Supporting your local community's efforts to replace inefficient outdoor lighting with solar technology will increase the dispersion of this practice as business as usual.

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