Integrated Solar Street Lights: Advantages and Disadvantages

With the widespread application of lithium batteries in solar street lights, integrated solar street lights have become a crucial player in outdoor lighting. In recent years, they have gained increasing popularity. Are they suitable for all requirements and perform well in all regions? What type of solar light should you use? That's a good question!

Advantages of Integrated Solar LED Street Lights:

The primary reason for their growing popularity lies in their compact design. The lithium battery and solar controller are integrated into the light fixture, with the solar panel mounted on top. Upon receiving the light, customers don't need complicated assembly or tuning – simply turn on the switch, and the light operates smoothly. Installation is also straightforward, requiring only a sunny location. It can be conveniently installed on walls, lamp posts, or any other mountable surface. Using this type of solar light to illuminate the night in places with power shortages is an excellent choice. Integrated solar street lights are particularly well-suited for countries or regions with abundant sunlight throughout the year, such as many Middle Eastern countries, South America, Africa, and select Asian countries.

Disadvantages of Integrated Solar LED Street Lights

A: Power Limitation of Solar Panels

In general, the design dimensions of integrated street lights are determined based on the size of the solar panel. Consequently, the size of the solar panel cannot be easily adjusted. Therefore, for high-power solar street lights or lights requiring 100% output throughout the night, integrated solar street lights may not be suitable due to insufficient solar panel power.

B: Directional Limitations

Due to the all-in-one design, solar lights are fixed entirely at the top of the fixture, with the solar panel direction perpendicular to the road. The solar panel cannot rotate to meet the optimal charging direction for maximizing sunlight utilization. Typically, if the freedom to adjust the direction of the solar panel is needed, a split-type solar street light should be considered.

Enhancing Integrated Solar Street Lights: Addressing Weaknesses

Given the weaknesses of integrated street lights, Soaring Lighting has conducted research to enhance their performance in several aspects.

Sensor Energy-Saving Mode: We have designed a motion sensor that triggers the light to maintain 100% output when someone passes by. After the person leaves for about 2 minutes, the light switches to an energy-saving mode, operating at approximately 30% power. This energy-saving mode can extend the working time of the street lights by 40-50%.

MPPT Street Light Controller: Our integration of MPPT (Maximum Power Point Tracking) street light controllers, compared to PWM controllers, improves charging efficiency by 20%. This effectively compensates for the power limitations of solar panels.

Adjustable Angle Design: While the direction of the solar panel cannot be changed, we have designed integrated street lights with adjustable angles. This feature enhances the charging efficiency of the solar panel, prolonging the illumination time of the lights.

In summary, in regions with limited sunlight, integrated solar street lights may not be an ideal choice. However, if the installation area has good sunlight, or the lights are intended for side roads or smaller pathways, integrated lights are a cost-effective and suitable option. With 12 years of experience in manufacturing lithium battery solar street lights, Soaring Lighting can provide various solutions to meet your specific requirements. If you have projects in this regard, please feel free to contact us.