What's The Working Principle of Solar Street Light?

Seeing the solar street lights, are you thinking about the working principle of solar powered street lights? 

When walking around at night or driving on the highway, you must encounter the solar street lights glowing without any electric connection. No doubt, this new addition to the environment is eco-friendly. When observing the lights deeply, have you ever wondered what the working principle of solar street lights is?

In this article, we're sharing the basic working principle of outdoor solar street lights and its components. 

How Do Solar Street Lights Work At Night?

Solar powered street lights work on the principle of converting solar energy into electricity. The lights have photovoltaic cells- responsible for absorbing and storing solar energy.

Along with the photovoltaic cells, the lights have silicon material called the semiconductor that performs the conversion process “Photovoltaic Effect.”

For an even better understanding, let’s have a sneak peek at the components of the best solar street lights.

1.Solar Panel

Of course, the main component is the solar panel. This panel contains photovoltaic cells or solar cells. The rays coming from the sun comprise electrons, protons, and neutrons (packed in an atom). Among these three subatomic particles, the solar panel uses photons mainly.

Sunlight, when it falls on the solar panel, gets trapped by the semiconducting material and solar cells. The silicon material squeezes the photons from atoms and transfers the electron to the photovoltaic cells. The cells keep storing the particles till the converter performs its role. 

2.Converter

Now is the role of the converter. As the name suggests, the converter converts solar energy to electrical. This converter is a built-in one present with solar panels.

The photon absorbed by the semiconducting material of the solar cells transfers the photon to the converter. This converter converts solar energy to electricity after performing the electrical charge function.

3.Battery

Once the in-built converter converts the solar energy to an electrical charge, the power-bank stores the energy. The battery keeps on storing the charge till it reaches its full capacity.

4.Controller

The most out-ranking component of the outdoor solar street lights is the innovative controller. When to switch ON the lamp and when to turn it OFF, all are on the controller's shoulders.

Besides controlling the performance of the lights, the controller also directs the battery. Once the battery reaches its maximum limit, the controller signals the converter to stop converting the solar energy to electrical to prevent overcharging

It keeps the lifespan of the battery, lights, and photovoltaic cells on track.

5.Light

Is it possible to sum up the components of solar street lights without mentioning the LED light? The light that glows is LED. To mention, the direct current (DC) solar cells produce is 12 volts maximum. 

The modern ones may offer 3.2-3.7 volts: depending on the absorbing, converting, and powering capacity of the solar panel. 

The reason to use LED fixtures in the working principle of street solar light is because of the 50% reduced energy consumption rate and higher lumen output than the HPS fixtures. 

If things still sound perplexing, check the below image. The image will explain the construction details of the solar street light system.

Benefits of Solar Powered Street Lights

Keeping the working procedure aside, will you earn any benefit from these solar street lights? Let us check the best solar street lights advantages and disadvantages. 

· Effortless installation

Installing lights on streets has never been as easy as indoor installation. The electricians have to equip themselves with safety gears as there are high chances of short circuits and accidental damages. 

Having solar powered street lights can reduce their hustle up to 50%. Solar street lights don’t require any additional wiring. It makes them the ideal option for challenging terrains and remote areas. 

· Low maintenance rate

We can’t say anything about ordinary street lights. But with solar street lights, you got years of performance warranty. The lights run for years and years without any additional maintenance cost. Since the lights are under harsh weather conditions 24/7, you may need to clean the dust once a year or 6-months. 

· Works even without sunlight

Yes, you read it right. You may think, will the solar street light work on cloudy days as there is barely a ray of sun? Yes, they will. The solar street lights can work up to 4 days without proper sunlight. 

· Ideal for aesthetic appeal

Whenever buying something for the environment, aesthetic looks are always on call. Compared to ordinary street lights, solar street lights are aesthetic. The lights look breath-taking when glowing at night under a black sky. 

· Long-running hours

To ensure the outdoor solar street lights run for long hours, they charge the whole day, storing as much energy as they can. On a fully charged battery, solar powered street lights run for around 8-12 hours. 

Disadvantages

The main drawback of this system is the high cost. You need to invest a high amount of your bank balance to have solar street lights. As the product is pretty expensive, the chances of theft are also in.

Another drawback is the replacement of the rechargeable battery. Every year you will need to replace the rechargeable battery with a new one. 

Final Verdict

This detailed guide entails the benefits, disadvantages, and working principle of street solar light. No doubt, this new eco-friendly addition is worth buying, only if you have a budget.

Low maintenance rate, long-running life with warranty, reliable quality, and effortless installation. Is there anything you can ask for?

How does a solar street light work?

Solar street lights work by converting solar energy to electricity. For this purpose, the lights require photovoltaic cells, battery, converter, silicone semiconducting material, and LED light on top. 

Why do we need solar street lights?

To reduce electricity costs, make things simpler, and advance the lighting, we do need outdoor solar street lights. Their maintenance rate is low, effortless to install, yet costly. 

How long do the solar street lights last?

With a fully charged battery, a solar street light can last for around 12 hours. Nevertheless, it also depends on the energy converting and storing efficiency.