When thinking about solar energy, what comes to mind first?

NEW? GREEN? SUSTAINABLE?

It can’t be denied that, in an era of such energy scarcity, solar power will become a hot commodity of the future. In the city planning process, it is necessary to consider the efficient use of energy, which accounts for why more and more cities in the United States are starting to launch solar outdoor lighting projects.

Solar street lights have a huge advantage over traditional street lights. But when city planners choose streetlights, the main reason that stops them from choosing solar powered light is the high price. People take it for granted that the price of solar products is higher than that of ordinary products. But is that really the case? Let’s compare the cost effectiveness of ordinary street lights and solar street lights.

Purchase Cost

Generally speaking, in the purchase process, we look at price first. From this point of view, solar street lights do not have much of an advantage, because the price is usually twice that of traditional street lights. Due to the capital investment in scientific research and the manufacturing of special materials, the high price of solar street lamps is understandable. However, the purchase price alone cannot be the only means by which to measure the cost effectiveness of solar street lights, and we need to consider the costs incurred in other aspects of the purchase process.

Installation Cost

Installing traditional street lights cost a lot, especially for areas with insufficient electrical infrastructure, such as remote areas or disaster areas. This is because traditional street lights require cabling and trenching to connect to grid lines. In contrast, solar street lights are off-grid, making them much simpler to install.

Operation Cost

The biggest difference between traditional street lights and solar street lights is the energy source. Traditional street lights are powered by electricity (limited and costly), while solar street lights rely on solar power (sustainable and free). City streetlight projects usually require a large number of street lights. And the increased electricity usage adds up fast when using traditional street lights. Therefore, solar powered street lights have the advantage in operational costs.

Maintenance Cost

Maintenance costs must be considered in the planning and construction of urban street lights. Traditional street lights use sodium bulbs, which have a lifespan of about only 5 years. In addition, traditional light bulbs and some electric wires also require frequent maintenance due to thunderstorms or other extreme weather. Solar street lights are far superior in durability to traditional street lights. While they do require eventual battery replacement—the battery has a lifespan of about 5-7 years.

In conclusion, the installation cost, operation cost, and maintenance cost of traditional street lights per unit ranges from $7,000-8,000 over a 10 year period, while solar street light cost is estimated at $3,500-5,000 over the same period of time. The extra costs associated with traditional street lights make their advantage of lower purchase price disappear.

After comparing the cost effectiveness of traditional street lights and solar street lights, you can now choose solar street lights with confidence. In fact, the savings are just one small benefit of solar street lights. The greatest benefit is that your city will start to use NEW, GREEN and SUSTAINABLE lighting.