1. Type of battery

All solar street lights are powered by batteries, which come in two types:

lithium battery

Lead-acid battery

Among the two, lithium batteries are better because they have longer lifespan, stronger temperature resistance (up to 45 degrees Celsius), various charging and discharging times (up to three times that of lead batteries), better battery capacity, and provide appropriate lighting efficiency. It should be noted that the battery capacity should meet the lighting efficiency requirements. Otherwise, street lights will not provide sufficient lighting during the rainy season.

2. Temperature and latitude

When you are at a latitude greater than 15 degrees, the inclination angle between the sun and the ground is greater than 15 degrees. Therefore, you must consider using solar street lights with adjustable solar panels. In addition, solar street light panels installed on both sides of the road should not be facing away from the sun.

3. Heat dissipation performance

Heat dissipation is another important factor determining the quality of LED lights. Basically, heat dissipation is nothing more than the transfer of heat. However, dissipation also refers to heat loss driven by unexpected effects. Therefore, whenever there is insufficient heat dissipation, the lifespan of semiconductor devices in street lamps will be shortened. It is best to choose LED lights that are UV resistant and fireproof to ensure sufficient heat dissipation.

4. Lighting level

HID and LED lights are two standard lighting technologies for solar street lights. Firstly, High Intensity Discharge (HID) lights are the oldest in the game.

The HID lamps used on solar street lamps include internal arc tubes (burners), shells (bulbs), and gases. An internal arc tube is a gas that provides voltage and ionization, typically argon, mercury, or metal halides. Therefore, brightness is powerful.

However, HID lamps consume a large amount of energy and are therefore inefficient. In addition, they wear out faster; Therefore, replacement is necessary every few years of service.

Therefore, if you need durable and energy-saving solar street lights, HID lights are not feasible, making LED lights the best choice. Light Emitting Diode (LED) lamps use tiny microchips to emit visible light within the diode. They are highly efficient and can produce bright light without burning out.

The only drawback is that the LED darkens over time. However, the dimming process is very slow, so that they can be used for many years before they need to be replaced.

In addition, LED lights are the most energy-efficient, making them the perfect choice for anyone who needs cost-effective solar street lights.

5. Temperature of the black lampshade

It is best to choose light colored lamps because black lamps have strong heat absorption. If the lamp is black, the temperature of the metal shell can reach 90 degrees Celsius with insufficient exposure. High temperatures can damage batteries and LED light sources. Therefore, choose a silver shell that will not absorb heat or fade when placed outdoors.

6. Sensors

There are two types of sensors:

Microwave induction (can sense moving objects)

Infrared sensing (only detecting temperature resistant microorganisms)

PIR or passive infrared sensors are included in many solar street lights to help save energy. The sensor operates by measuring infrared light, allowing the sensor to detect motion.

7. Solar controller

Charging and discharging controllers, also known as solar controllers, coordinate the operation of solar panels, batteries, and loads. Effective heat dissipation is crucial for selecting controllers. Another basic feature is temperature compensation. An intelligent controller has been added to prevent overcharging and undercharging of solar cells. You’d better invest in an intelligent solar controller with built-in communication that allows for real-time monitoring and control of the system. This controller will provide maximum performance and lifespan.

In addition, the solar controller coordinates the operation of the panel, load, and battery. Therefore, choosing a controller to provide you with the following benefits is crucial:

Good heat dissipation function

temperature compensation

Preventing overcharging and undercharging

Built in communication with interactive control

Real time system monitoring

Maximum performance and lifespan

8. Solar panels

Know your solar panel type. Therefore, in order to give you a better understanding, let’s delve deeper into the three available solar panels.

Monochrystalline Solar Panels

As the name suggests, these solar panels contain single crystal solar cells. They are made by cutting silicon ingots into wafers to form batteries. Silicon ingots are grown from high-purity silicon single crystals. Therefore, this type of solar panel is usually considered efficient because it is the purest.

Amorphous (Thin Film) Solar Panels

The amorphous solar plane is made of amorphous amorphous silicon (a-Si). They are the cheapest because they are the easiest to manufacture.

They consist of three main parts. Firstly, photovoltaic materials are responsible for converting sunlight into energy. Secondly, conductive sheets improve conductivity by preventing energy loss, while the third part is to protect the protective layer of the panel, thereby improving its durability.

However, this type of solar panel has the lowest efficiency and is therefore not commonly used.

Polycystalline Solar Panels

Polycrystalline solar panels include various silicon crystals encapsulated in a single PV cell. This type of solar panel tends to be more heat-resistant and easy to manufacture.

Therefore, they are affordable and effective, but not more effective than single crystal solar panels. Therefore, you must determine which of the three types above is suitable for you based on your preferences.

However, we recommend using single crystal solar panels for solar street lighting purposes, mainly for government projects. Single crystal solar panels can obtain solar energy even in cloudy weather. In addition, they are small in size and have a pleasant appearance compared to other types.

However, they are more expensive, so if your budget does not allow you to afford single crystals, polycrystalline solar panels are the second best choice. Please do not rely on amorphous (thin film) solar panels to manufacture solar street lights, as they have the lowest efficiency.

9. Service and Warranty

Solar street lights are undoubtedly a huge investment. Therefore, you need to ensure that the manufacturer provides an extended warranty period of 20 to 25 years. In addition, we are looking for reputable solar street lamp dealers to provide excellent after-sales service.

shinetoo has been developing the individual components for over 9 years to make highly reliable Street lighting networks all over the world.