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Look around – do you see the dark areas surrounding you at night? Of those spaces, wouldn't it be so much nicer if it was illuminated, even for a short time, at night?
Many of these spaces that would benefit from having illumination at night don't have the possibility because of a lack of infrastructure. The grid may be too costly to bring in, or in many cases, just not available. This could be along a walkway or bike path, in a parking lot, at a park or playground area, or even just a break area where people gather.
Illuminating a space can do so much for the people visiting at night by increasing visibility, safety, and security and allowing the space to be used for a longer period. With the nights getting longer and the days getting shorter, lighting will become a concern for many again.
Solar powered LED lights can provide a great alternative to standard grid-powered lights. They save money by not having to trench in existing power and pay those power bills, especially when construction and energy costs are currently on the rise. Let's take a deeper dive into these lights and see how they can provide a positive impact on your surrounding space.
Why Outdoor LED Solar Powered Lights Are Great for Any Application
You can't go wrong with outdoor LED solar powered lights since all they need is the sun to work. Any space with full sunlight access can benefit from a solar lighting solution. The sun produces a charge through the solar panel during the day and stores the energy in the system's battery; no need for the grid to provide any sort of power or backup to the system.
At night, the controller detects that the solar isn't producing a charge, turns on the light, and operates it for its programmed schedule. This program can be all night long at full or partial output. The lights can also turn off after a preprogrammed amount of time and even turn on again before dawn. The lights can also have motion sensors that detect movement and turn on or become brighter when people are in the area. There are many options to operate a solar lighting system.
How Solar Powered LED Lights Can Adapt Well To Any Project
Solar powered LED lights adapt well to any project – we have shown this time and time again. Since solar can power the fixture or device as long as it has a 12 or 24 VDC input, you can have your system adapt to the needs of each project.
Need a large area illuminated? Get a large down or flood fixture with a high output.
Need a sign illuminated? Get a flood fixture with the correct NEMA distribution.
Need a camera powered? Don't forget to size for 24/7 operation and have at it.
It is really quite simple.
The solar system needs to be sized to handle the item's load at the project's installation location for the amount of time it will need to operate. In addition, the battery backup should be enough to cover at least a few days because weather affects the charge and storage of the system. Missing even one of these steps, or being off on the data you have gathered, can significantly affect how the system operates and the system's overall life.
Why a Commercially Designed System is Important
Commercially designed outdoor LED solar powered lights are much different from the cheap systems you can find on the market. They are sized specifically for an application and designed to operate to meet a specification.
If you aren't concerned about that, purchasing one of those cheap units you find on Amazon may be the right choice for your project.
But if you don't want to be left in the dark, working with a reputable company that designs and manufactures a commercial unit will be your better choice.
A commercial system is designed considering the geographical location of the installation, the weather and climate of the area, the requirements of the project, and the needs of the customer, and then designing the system around that information. Poles are designed to meet AASHTO wind load ratings with the solar. Lights are designed to meet the light level requirements. Solar is designed to provide enough charge no matter what mother nature throws at it. And the batteries are designed to have plenty of backup power to meet the system's needs as a whole.
Those lights you found on Amazon for $350 are not designed to do any of that. They are a box system that probably tells you it is a 100 Watt LED when it is really only a 10 Watt LED and a 100 Watt equivalent (but equal to what exactly). It says you only need 6 hours of daylight to charge when it needs way more than that. And it probably has one night of backup, two or three if you are really lucky. Oh, and it operates at full output maybe one hour per night, and the rest only at 10%, and in the winter, it probably won't fully charge, so operation will be spotty.
Build a Solar Powered Outdoor LED Light that Lasts
Now let's get into the longevity of the system. We at SEPCO have been in business since 1994. There are systems that are in the field still operating today that were installed back when the company was very young. We can even still offer support services to those systems. No manufacturers on the market today can say that – not one. We have seen our competitors come and go, and we have supported their systems as well when they were gone.
A commercially designed system will have components that have a warranty to back them up. If you need a system to be low maintenance and operate as needed for some time, opting for a commercially designed solar lighting solution will prove to be a much more financially sound decision. If you need something temporarily, then opting for those big box units may be your better choice. It depends on what your needs really are and what you find to be most important.
If you purchase one light for $350 but have to replace it or do repairs constantly, you can spend more than a single commercial solar light system will cost. A commercial light will also provide much less struggle and operate for many years without issues. Knowing what your expectations are and the long-term costs of the solar lighting system can change how you view a project as a whole.
What Sets SEPCO Solar LED Lights Apart from the Competition
Well, for starters, our systems don't cost $350, nor are they offered as a one-size-fits-all. Instead, our systems are designed to meet a need, and if that need isn't met on the first go-round with your salesperson, then they can adjust it to meet your needs better.
Our systems are offered with the longest warranty in the business, and, like stated before, we continue to stay in business to support our systems.
Want to learn more about brightening your space with outdoor LED solar powered lights? Contact us today to talk to a specialist. We would be happy to see if our solar lighting solutions fit your project needs.
