Architect & Engineer Resource Hub

This is one of the most practical questions an architect or engineer specifying solar can ask. The substitution risk is real: a properly engineered SEPCO system will almost always cost more than a commodity all-in-one product, and value-engineering substitutions can significantly degrade long-term performance.

To write a defensible spec, we recommend requiring the following performance criteria (rather than brand-naming the product, which can create bid protest exposure):

• Minimum 5 nights of battery autonomy at specified full output

• Panel wattage sized to location's worst-month peak sun hours (provide the NREL PSH value)

• LED fixture with IES Type distribution appropriate to the application

• AGI32 photometric calculations demonstrating compliance with minimum and uniformity requirements at the specified mounting height

• AASHTO wind load certification for the installation ZIP code

• US-manufactured product meeting BAA/BABA requirements (if applicable)

• Battery warranty minimum 5 years, panel warranty minimum 25 years

This language locks out systems that cannot meet the engineering criteria. We can provide suggested specification language formatted for CSI Master Format structure upon request. 

Many SEPCO fixture options are designed to comply with both International Dark-Sky Association (IDA) guidelines and Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) sea turtle protection criteria. For dark sky compliance, we specify full-cutoff (Type 90° or greater) luminaires with no uplight component, appropriate CCT (typically 3000K or lower), and output levels calibrated to task illuminance rather than overlighting.

For FWC turtle-friendly certification in coastal Florida zones, we offer amber-spectrum LEDs (590nm peak) that are documented to be less disorienting to nesting sea turtles and hatchlings. SEPCO can provide fixture data sheets with IDA and FWC certification documentation for permit submittals in jurisdictions that require it. If your project is in a coastal overlay zone or adjacent to sensitive habitat, flag this at the start of design and we'll specify accordingly. 

Yes. SEPCO solar lighting systems are manufactured at our Stuart, Florida headquarters and meet all BAA and BABA domestic manufacturing requirements. This is relevant for projects receiving federal funding through FHWA, HUD, EPA, EDA, USDA, or similar programs where Buy American provisions are standard grant conditions.

SEPCO is registered on SAM.gov with CAGE Code 1VYPO and maintains active federal contracting credentials. For projects requiring documentation of domestic origin, we provide manufacturer declarations confirming BAA/BABA compliance for each product category. This documentation should be requested at the start of the project and included in the procurement package. 

SEPCO systems are designed with predictable, budgetable replacement cycles for each major component:

• Solar panels: 25-year linear power output warranty. Expected field life of 30+ years with typical degradation of 0.5% per year.

• GEL batteries: 5–7 year design life under normal cycling. LFP (lithium iron phosphate) batteries, where specified, carry a 10-year design life at typical cycling depths.

• LED fixtures: 50,000–100,000 hour rated life. At 4,000 hours of operation per year (dusk-to-dawn), this represents 12–25 years before lumen depreciation reaches the L70 threshold.

• Control electronics and drivers: 5–15 years depending on environment. Sealed enclosures extend electronics life in harsh conditions.

All replacement components are budgetable as scheduled maintenance line items, not emergency replacements. Systems are designed with modular component access so individual parts can be serviced without removing the entire assembly. 

This is one of solar lighting's most underutilized selling points. A properly sized SEPCO system is completely independent of the utility grid, which means it continues to operate normally during utility outages; hurricanes, ice storms, infrastructure failures, or rolling brownouts. The system does not 'know' that the grid is down because it never draws from it.

For municipalities and agencies concerned about emergency preparedness, this is a meaningful infrastructure resilience argument: solar-lit pathways, parking lots, and roadways remain operational during disasters when grid power fails. This argument has particular resonance for healthcare campuses, emergency facilities, and critical infrastructure projects where lighting continuity is a safety and operational requirement. 

In northern latitudes, the winter challenge has two variables working against the system simultaneously: shorter days (fewer peak sun hours available for charging) and longer nights (more hours of battery draw required). SEPCO designs every system for this worst-case scenario, which for most of the northern U.S. falls in late December.

Specifically: we use the shortest peak sun hours of the year for the project latitude as our sizing input, combined with the longest night of the year as our load duration. This ensures the system is over-built for summer and perfectly sized for winter worst-case. A system designed this way will actually perform better in summer than in winter, but it will never underperform in winter because that's the baseline it was designed for.

The key question to ask any solar vendor is: 'What month's PSH values did you use to size this system?' If the answer is 'annual average,' the system is undersized for winter. 

In limited cases, yes. Retrofitting a solar power assembly onto an existing pole requires the existing structure to support the additional wind load created by the solar panel array; typically 4 to 25 square feet of EPA and 150 to 700 lbs of additional weight. Most existing utility-grade and standard street light poles are not engineered for this additional load and require structural engineering review before retrofit can be confirmed.

In practice, successful retrofits are most common on robust wood utility poles and heavy-gauge steel or concrete commercial poles. Older aluminum streetlight poles typically require replacement. SEPCO can assess retrofit feasibility if you can provide the existing pole specification (wall thickness, pole height, embedment depth, and original EPA rating). For new installations, specifying SEPCO solar poles from the start is almost always more cost-effective and structurally reliable than attempting a retrofit. 

The accurate comparison requires looking at total installed cost and lifecycle cost; not just the fixture purchase price.

On a per-fixture purchase price, a SEPCO solar system typically has a higher upfront cost than a grid-tied fixture alone, because the solar system includes panel, battery, controller, and enclosure in addition to the luminaire.

However, on a total installed cost basis (including trenching, conduit, wiring, electrical tie-in, and utility connection), solar is frequently cost-competitive or less expensive, particularly for sites where electrical infrastructure is not already in place, where trenching costs are high due to paving, landscaping, contamination, or distance from the grid.

On a 20-year lifecycle cost basis, solar almost always wins: zero utility bills, near-zero maintenance costs, and no utility rate escalation exposure over the asset's life.

Yes. SEPCO is an approved vendor on multiple cooperative purchasing contracts that allow qualifying government entities to purchase without conducting a separate competitive bid process. Active cooperative vehicles include:

• HGACBuy (Houston-Galveston Area Council)

• BuyBoard (National Purchasing Cooperative)

• Pavilion

• Allied States Cooperative (ESC19)

• 791 Purchasing Cooperative

• Region 18 Education Service Center

• McAllen ISD

Cooperative purchasing is available to municipalities, counties, school districts, universities, transit authorities, and most other public entities. To purchase through a cooperative, contact your SEPCO representative with the cooperative you're enrolled in and we'll route the order through the appropriate contract vehicle. This typically reduces procurement timelines by 4–8 weeks compared to a public bid process. 

Typical timeline for a commercial or municipal solar lighting project:

• Photometric analysis and system proposal: 48–72 hours after site information is received

• Proposal revision and approval: typically 1 week - 6 months depending on client review cycle

• Engineering and fabrication lead time: 6–10 weeks for standard systems; longer for very large orders or highly customized configurations

• Shipping and delivery: 1–2 weeks depending on destination

• Installation: solar poles install without electrical sub coordination, typically reducing installation duration by 30–50% vs. grid-tied

For projects with tight schedule constraints, contact us early in the design phase. We can often expedite fabrication for critical path projects. Projects pursuing cooperative purchasing contracts on a tight timeline should also engage us early to confirm contract vehicle availability.