Solar street lights are all about savings, environmental friendliness, and autonomy – an attractive choice for illuminating streets, parking lots, and outdoor spaces. But are they as cost-effective as they seem to be?
Read on to learn about:
- What affects the solar street lighting cost
- Solar street light costs comparison versus traditional street light
- The main types of solar lights for streets
You’re only a few chapters away from learning everything you need to know about the factors shaping the solar street light system cost and how to reduce it while ensuring the required lighting for the street in question.
Street Solar Lights vs. Traditional Street Lighting Systems
The traditional street light uses electricity from the grid to power the lamp, whereas a solar cell absorbs sunlight and converts it into electricity that is stored in a battery until released to power LED lamps at night.
Solar panel street lights are becoming increasingly available, powerful, and reliable, winning the competition against traditional lighting systems ever more often, even when old lighting system components are already available in stock and new ones still have to be produced.
| Solar LED Street Light | Traditional Street Lighting System |
| Environmental Impact | |
| Utilizes renewable solar energy, producing no emissions and minimizing environmental impact. | Relies on electricity generated from fossil fuels, leading to greenhouse gas emissions and environmental pollution. |
| Infrastructure Dependency | |
| Operates autonomously, independent of the power grid, and can be installed anywhere with sufficient sunlight | Requires a power grid for operation, which can be problematic in remote areas |
| Maintenance | |
| With fewer moving parts, solar power street light typically requires less maintenance and fewer periodic checks and component replacements | Requires regular maintenance, such as bulb replacements and wiring repairs |
| Reliability | |
| Less vulnerable to power outages, operating independently of the power grid | May experience outages if there are issues with the power supply or equipment. |
And now to another comparison between traditional and solar street light prices.
Here are the average parking lot expenses over 5 years for each type of lighting:
The total cost of solar lights is almost two times lower.
That said, even though a solar street lamp is environmentally and economically advantageous, the final choice between traditional and solar-powered LED street lights depends on your needs, priorities, and budget.
Initial Investment in Commercial and Industrial Solar Street Lights
Initial investments are a significant factor to consider before investing in solar street lamps. Although they may pay off over time due to savings on electricity costs, the initial expenses are still higher compared to similar purchases of traditional street lights.
The Cost of the Solar LED Street Lights
The solar street lighting cost varies depending on their technical specifications like lighting power, the efficiency of solar panels, construction durability, autonomy, etc. Typically, the higher the power and the better the quality of components, the higher the overall street light prices.
The manufacturer also plays an important role, as different companies may offer the same products with different quality and warranty conditions. Therefore, before making a purchase, it would be wise to consider the solar street lighting cost, quality, and maintenance conditions for your target lighting systems.
Installation Costs
Installing LED solar street lights is a more complex process that requires careful site preparation, proper pole mounting, solar panel deployment, and wiring connection.
Some factors, such as the terrain relief, depth of foundation laying, and access to necessary resources, also affect the complexity and installation costs. Additionally, configuring the system for optimal solar energy collection and its efficient use requires professional skills and additional expenses.
Cost of Additional Equipment
When you want to do the solar street light cost estimate, you must also consider the cost of additional equipment like batteries, charge controllers, and inverters.
- Batteries store electricity to power the lights at night or when solar activity is insufficient
- Charge controllers regulate the flow of energy from solar panels to batteries to prevent overcharging or over-discharging
- Inverters convert direct current from batteries into alternating current used to power LEDs
As you can see, the initial investment in solar light for the street includes equipment, installation, and construction expenses, as well as maintenance, repairs, and monitoring costs. Make sure to factor in everything mentioned to correctly estimate your solar system profitability.
Additional Factors Influencing Solar Street Light Pricing
Considering the complexity of solar projects, investors, developers, and consumers need to understand various aspects that affect solar street lighting costs.
Here are the main aspects affecting solar street lighting cost:
| Project scale | Larger projects may benefit from bulk purchases and installation efficiency, potentially reducing the overall cost |
| Local regulations and licensing | Compliance with local norms, licenses, and certificates increases the project’s cost, but adherence to these standards is absolutely necessary. |
| Location | Sunlit states require fewer solar panels and batteries, reducing the solar panels for street light cost, whereas states with limited sunlight will require additional investments in energy storage and reserve systems. |
| Financing and incentives | Financial options such as loans, leasing, or government incentives (e.g., 30% federal tax credit, net metering) reduce initial costs and improve the accessibility of street light solar projects |
Solar Panel Street Light Cost: Nuances of the Issue
The market is abundant with offers of municipal solar street lights, each with its design, characteristics, and price. This is one of the significant aspects that interests installation experts, owners of solar sector companies, and ordinary city residents.
Consider these types of solar-powered street lamps to understand pricing:
| Type | Features | Price |
| Split Type Solar Street Light | A classic option with the solar panel, battery, and LED light placed separately. This allows for easy replacement of individual components and system upgrades without complete dismantling. Split-type solar street lights are suitable for lighting streets, roads, parks, yards, etc. | Depends on the solar street light manufacturer and characteristics, ranging from $50 to $800 per unit |
| All-In-One Solar Street Light | An advanced and convenient solution in which all components are integrated into a single unit. This type of solar street lighting is ideal for urban areas and places with limited installation space, as it is easily transportable and mountable. Moreover, there is no need for underground or overhead servicing. | Varies from $50 to $800 per unit |
| Auto-Clean Solar Street Light | An innovative solution that greatly simplifies operation due to an automatic solar panel cleaning system.
Auto-clean solar street lights are perfect for challenging conditions, especially in snowy or polluted areas. | The solar street lighting cost with auto-cleaning ranges from $300 to $1000 per unit |
The choice between different types of commercial solar street lights should be based on specific needs, budget, and local conditions, ensuring the optimal balance between solar street lighting cost and quality.
Are Commercial Solar-Powered Street Lights That Expensive?
Although the price of solar street lights may seem high, consider the long-term savings they provide due to their efficiency and low operating costs. The earlier you install this kind of system, the quicker it will pay off.
Don’t waste any more time – get your free solar quote now.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do the initial costs of solar-powered street lights compare to those of traditional street lighting systems?
The initial solar led street light cost is slightly higher than traditional ones, but solar systems don’t require electricity payments and have lower maintenance costs. Over time, outdoor solar street lights become cheaper.
What are the ongoing expenses associated with maintaining solar panel street lights?
Maintenance costs for solar street lights include battery replacement, repairs, and regular panel cleaning.
Can upgrading to more advanced street solar light models result in long-term cost savings?
Yes. Modern models of solar street light with motion sensors, batteries with larger capacities, and more efficient LEDs increase your long-term savings.
