Why solar street lights should be used in rural and regional areas
Grid-free solar street lights are lighting up communities all across Australia, and with good reason. Combining the latest advancements in solar panels, batteries and LED luminaires and needing no underground cabling or trenching, today’s solar street lights are quick and easy to install, require next to no maintenance, and can be monitored and controlled remotely – making them perfect for rural and regional areas.
LED solar street lights – easy installation, anywhere
One of the clearest advantages of using solar powered street lights in rural and regional areas is that they require no underground cabling nor connection to the electricity grid. In fact, modern solar street lights like those designed by Leadsun are freestanding, all-in-one units that need only the energy of the sun to operate. This means that a solar street light can be installed anywhere – no matter how remote.
Minimal environmental disruption
Solar street lights require no underground cables, causing no disruption to the surrounding environment. In addition, solar street lights such as those designed by Leadsun can be easily installed using an EZYfoot concrete-less footing system. Through this system, the light pole – upon which the LED lamp and solar panel are mounted – is anchored into the ground using steel micro-piles. The ingenious EZYfoot causes minimal disturbance to the ground therefore further decreasing any potential risk of negative environmental impact.
Reduced labour time and costs for remote work
The EZYfoot concrete-less footing system that forms the base of Leadsun’s solar street lights means that installation time and costs do not need to account for what can otherwise often be a few days’ concrete curing time. Instead, installation can usually be completed in less than 60 minutes. This is of huge financial benefit in general, but especially if a project is remote and needs to factor in labour transport and accommodation costs.
Solar street lights can be wirelessly monitored and controlled
Leadsun’s smart solar street lights include an advanced remote control technology and off-site wireless control and monitoring system we call EDGE. This means our solar street lights can be controlled, monitored and configured from anywhere in the world – again particularly perfect for remote lighting projects.
This wireless control and monitoring system uses long-range LoRaWAN bi-directional technology for communication between the connected lights and a GSM SIM card in the Gateway light for connection to the cloud-based management system. With the secure login credentials EDGE offers web-based access from anywhere, at anytime, and also allows real-time monitoring of battery and solar-charging performance.
City of Wodonga chooses solar powered street lights to illuminate their parks
One example of a successful regional solar powered street lighting project is the multi-year partnership that has seen Leadsun collaborate with the City of Wodonga to install over 300 off-grid lights throughout the regional city’s extensive park network.
Each year has seen more parks and pathways illuminated by Leadsun’s solar street lights, which now connect and provide safer travel for local residents between their homes, workplaces and education facilities – including Wodonga TAFE, Victory Primary School and La Trobe University.
In addition, each new iteration of the project has also attracted significant media, community and government attention and support for the regional city.
Lighting up remote communities and futures across Australia and across the globe
With their significant cost and environmental benefits, solar street lights have become increasingly important for remote and regional communities across Australia.
They have also meant, however, that lighting can be provided to communities across the globe in places where there was previously no existing electrical infrastructure at all. This can provide significant benefit to whole communities, from creating safer spaces at night for all community members to the individual level of a child no longer needing to try to study by candlelight or kerosene lamp – arguably one of the most simple but significant ways to light any community’s way forward into a safe, sustainable future.
To learn more about how Leadsun can help you light up your rural or regional community or project, contact us here.
