As society becomes more aware of the need to reduce the carbon footprint, everyone is looking for ways to do so in all aspects of life. One area that is often overlooked is street lighting. Did you know that streetlights account for approximately 4% of the world’s total energy consumption? And because of that, a whopping 60% is wasted due to inefficient lighting. But there is a solution.
Solar-powered street lights are becoming more and more popular as they offer a way to reduce energy consumption and help save the planet. Here’s how they work.
How Solar-Powered Lights Work
Solar-powered street lights are designed to collect the sun’s energy during the day and then utilize that energy to power the lights at night. This means that they are completely self-sufficient and do not rely on the grid for power. There are two types of solar streetlights: those with integrated batteries and those without.
Lights with integrated batteries store the energy collected during the day in a battery, which is then used to power the light at night. Lights without integrated batteries rely on the grid for power storage; however, this option is becoming less popular as it defeats the purpose of having a solar-powered light in the first place.
The Benefits of Solar-Powered Lights
There are many benefits to using solar-powered street lights over the traditional style of street lights that rely on fossil fuels for power. Firstly, they help reduce our carbon footprint as they do not produce any emissions or pollution. Additionally, they are much more efficient than traditional street lights as they do not waste any energy through heat loss.
They are also very low maintenance as there are no bulbs or wires to replace, and they typically have a lifespan of ten years or more. Finally, solar-powered lights can actually save you money in the long run as they have very low operating costs and often qualify for government rebates or incentives.
