Solar Street Lamps

Kevin,

I wonder how the cost of installing a solar tree compares to that of a standard street light? They look like they might be expensive...

I like the idea of LED lighting, and especially solar powered (or wind powered) LED lights, but I wonder if there might be a more cost effective way of implementing it?

What do you think?

Chris H.

Hmmm... I'm not so sure about this idea. I think it certainly would be great for a remote area. But in cities which already have a power infrastructure, I'm not sure it makes much sense. I'd think you'd be better off replacing the lamps in existing street lights with LED's, then using whatever renewable energy generation you have available. Solar, for example, might be more efficiently (in terms of power and material cost) generated on roof tops or at solar farms than on these solar trees. Also what kind of batteries do they use? How long will they last? Will the diurnal and seasonal temperature fluctuations be a problem. I'd think it would just be cheaper and more environmentally friendly to use the grid as your "battery".

Anyhow, these are just my initial impressions.


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$40-50K per solar tree? How much does it cost to replace the lamp in an existing street light with LED's? I'm not saying it's a bad idea, just that there may be simpler more efficient solutions.

If you already have the installations, doesn't look like that much.

Saw this in Wired the other day.

Seems a lot more practical in places that have electricity. Here's a link to the online version:
Big City, Brighter Lights: Gotham's New LED Streetlamp Plan

Pretty cool. I would want one at my house. This could also go the the LED lighting thread.

The “Greenâ€￾ Street Light « Josh Hadar's Blog

More of the same via TEG

One Per Cent: Green Machine: solar street lamp feeds energy to the grid

Doesn't seem as if there would be enough surface area from the picture, but I guess there is.

JRP3 said:

Doesn't seem as if there would be enough surface area from the picture, but I guess there is.

Click to expand...

That surprised me as well. Interesting if that is really enough.

Norbert said:

That surprised me as well. Interesting if that is really enough.

Click to expand...

The surface area of the whole mast is fairly high. And it's round, of course, so takes light from any direction.
Clever!

Yes but at a horrible angle during the most powerful sun periods.

I moved these last few posts to a similar thread.

My feelings about this are similar to the street lamps at the start of this (now merged) thread. I appreciate that they are using the grid for storage (and not a local battery in the post). But I still think the solar power is better generated on a rooftop or wherever makes the most sense. One of the great advantages about electricity is that it is easily and relatively efficiently moved around. So there's no point in taking a hit in cost and efficiency by putting it on the light post directly.

Btw, I've seen some of these LED street lamps in the Bay Area, and they are quite nice. A bright crisp white light going down where you need it (not scattering up) and not that sickly sodium yellow.

One benefit, not utilized in this design, is if you do include a battery you can install a streetlight in a more remote area without running wires, saving that expense, and still get lighting during a power outage.

JRP3 said:

One benefit, not utilized in this design, is if you do include a battery you can install a streetlight in a more remote area without running wires, saving that expense, and still get lighting during a power outage.

Click to expand...

Agreed. We discussed that above.