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Security is essential to many different projects. From remote pipelines and utility sites to park facilities, military applications, and industrial facilities, security lighting ensures that people and property are safe from criminal activity. In addition, ensuring that good visibility is provided by a light system will allow people and cameras to quickly capture any action that isn’t supposed to be happening.
Let’s look at security lighting and how installing it can increase the safety and security of the people and property it is to protect. Then let’s look at why solar is the go-to option in many security lighting applications and installations.
Applications for Solar Flood Lights
Solar flood lights for security can be installed in almost any location. Solar is a great option as they don’t rely on the electric grid as their source of electricity, and instead only rely on the sun to produce their power. Let’s look at a few applications and why solar is the go-to choice.
Remote Pipeline or Utility Installation
Remote pipelines or utility transmission substations are not always located where grid power for the area is readily available. Well, a utility substation has electricity; however, it is not typically used to power anything at its location but instead transmits it to homes and businesses.
Security lighting at these locations can be critical to the safety of the power grid, water lines, gas lines, etc. for people servicing them at night, but also to ensure that any vandalism is easily caught on camera.
These remote locations should utilize motion sensing technology to not have the lights on unless required to help reduce the solar sizing and increase the amount of light each solar lighting system can produce. A remote switch can also be used so that the lights are only on when necessary.
Remote Perimeters
Perimeters around a facility, such as a farm or industrial facility, can also benefit from installing solar security lighting systems. Workers at the facility should be able to move around freely and feel safe. Security lighting, especially around a perimeter, can make sure that people moving around have good visibility.
Military and Government Facilities
Illuminating remote spaces at a military or government facility will ensure that nighttime patrol and security have better visibility, keeping these spaces safe and secure. We have been working to make our government facilities more secure by making them less reliant on the traditional electrical grid. By utilizing solar for many of these applications, ensures that no matter what is going on, these areas are sustained separate from the power grid.
Industrial Facilities
Industrial facilities that utilize a solar flood light system can benefit from remote spaces having plenty of illumination while not adding to their monthly expenses. Depending on their needs, these facilities can install one system or many systems without additional energy costs to the facility. This type of installation is perfect for new facilities being designed to be more efficient and updating older facilities that forgot to install light or have a failing infrastructure.
Parks and Boat Ramps
Parks and boat ramps can benefit from installing a commercial solar flood lighting system because they can be installed in remote locations around a park. There are many areas where power is not readily available or cost-effective to bring in. Installing a solar solution can save the park money while providing a safe space for people to utilize after dark.
Control Options
Two main control options are used for a commercial solar flood light project; dusk to dawn or motion. Both control options have pros and cons, so let’s hit on that.
Dusk to dawn is perfect for areas with continuous movement or need security throughout the night. Dusk to dawn means the lights will operate at full output from dusk to dawn with no dimming / reduced output or off times. This ensures that the light will be on no matter what and the people near will have full visibility.
Motion detection is great where you don’t need the light to be on all night, but you need it to be available when you come by. This is perfect for boat ramps, remote areas, etc. If you need light all night, but don’t need it to be full output unless there is movement, you can have the lights operate in that way with the use of motion detectors. The lights can also be off until motion is detected as well.
Security Cameras
Security cameras are required in some installations. Understanding that these need to be set up a specific way with an off-grid solar solution, especially with a solar flood light project, will ensure your system works properly.
A single solar power assembly can provide enough power to operate the floods all night and a camera 24/7 to ensure the safety and security of the people and property in the area. The LED floods can ensure plenty of illumination is provided while the camera can capture anything from just people moving around to something suspicious happening.
The camera should be a DC-powered camera and not AC-powered. This ensures the system will be as efficient as possible. Also all equipment should also be listed and sized for to ensure there is plenty of power to operate the system as appropriately needed.
Why Install Commercial Solar Flood Lights
Installing a commercial solar flood light is a great way to be green, save money, and have a system that doesn’t require additional trenching or installation costs like of a traditional flood light system. Let’s look at all the ways a commercial solar solution can work for your next project.
Task Specific Optics
Solar flood lights can illuminate a small spot using narrow optics or a large area using wide floods. These floods can also be pointed and aimed in the direction of the space needing illumination, even if the light needs to be placed off to the side. Plus, the knuckle that most flood lights have allows for precise aiming, which can be required in some cases.
Cost-Effective Solution
Solar is a cost-effective solution since it requires nothing to operate other than sunlight. As long as the solar system has full access to the sun during the day, the floodlights will operate at night as programmed.
Long Lifespan
A commercial solar flood light system has a lifespan of over 25 years! That’s a long time and will outlast many grid-tied applications. In addition, the solar panels only have a power loss of 20% over their lifespan, and LEDs have a lifespan of 100K hours or 22+ years on average. This lifespan is unheard of for most things.
Low Maintenance
Some of the components of a commercial solar flood light system will need maintenance, such as the battery assembly or control electronics. Batteries tend to have a lifespan of 5-10 years, depending on the technology. Control electronics should last 15 years or more.
Eco-Friendly
This one goes without saying, but a commercial solar flood light system is eco-friendly. There is no need for external power sources from dirty energy sources. The batteries are fully recyclable, so is most of the metal if something is damaged or needs to be replaced.
No Grid Power
There is no grid power used in an off-grid solar flood lighting system. That means there is no trenching needed for installation and laying high-powered transmission lines. That also means there are zero energy bills. Finally, because no grid power is required, you aren’t reliant on it. That means you will still be fine if there is a blackout or brownout. This is perfect for areas prone to natural disasters (did you hear about that community in Florida?) and can keep the lights on for people trying to figure things out.
As you can see, many applications can benefit from installing commercial solar flood lights. The solar flood lights will provide additional safety and security through lighting, save money, and provide a green solution to the facilities or projects.
