Solar Street Lights definitely became more affordable solutions to light up streets and public spaces with efficient LED lights. The main reason that drive this trend is increased demand for various solar systems that directly affected prices of main components such as solar panels, batteries, controllers and LED lights. In this article we will focus more on two different types of batteries that work better for solar street lights.
The battery type that is most used in Solar Street Light systems are Deep-cycle VRLA batteries. Deep-cycle VRLA batteries, which include AGM and GEL technologies, eliminate the need for water addition and can be used and installed in any position. They are designed so that oxygen produced by the positive plates during charging can shift to the negatives plate where it is reduced to water, dramatically reducing water loss.
Cost of VRLA battery is usually the lowest from all other batteries. But when purchasing a deep-cycle battery for your solar street light system, there are several areas that should be taken into account to determine the total cost of ownership over the life of the battery.
A battery for solar street light system with a low price is always attractive, but if this is obtained at the expense of quality and battery life, the cost over time will be high because of the need for often battery replacements (almost every 2-3 years). That’s why it’s important to consider issues other than price when making the decision.
One of the main things to look when choosing battery system for your solar street light is the Capacity. A battery’s capacity is very important since it is the measurement of the amount of energy stored in the battery. That will determine what is the energy independence of your solar street light. Some geographic locations with less sun require larger battery capacity,on the other hand, locations such as Nevada, Arizona or Saudi Arabia and Kuwait will most likely need less battery capacity for solar street light since they have a lot of sunny days year round.
In addition choosing a battery from a reputable company is very important. Many companies sell VRLA batteries, choosing a company that focuses on deep-cycle technology with a proven history of manufacturing VRLA batteries means you will benefit from the company’s knowledge and expertise. The price of VRLA battery 150Ah for solar street light range from $200 up to $350 depending on the brand.
Lithium Battery for Solar street lights are becoming more and more main stream solution. We all know that lithium batteries are still very expensive considering other types, but it is fair to say that they became much more affordable for solar street light integration. In last 6 years the cost of lithium battery drop by almost 80%. The main reason for this drop is huge growth in electric cars production that are almost exclusively powered by lithium batteries.
There are different types of lithium batteries that can be used for Solar Street Light systems. Our experience showed that definitely the best solution is the LiFePO4 battery. These batteries are ideal for usage in conjunction with solar controllers and solar panels, allowing the battery to be charged even while providing power to an electrical load. Compared to lead acid batteries, LiFePO4 batteries offer outstanding charge life cycles and significantly lighter weight over lead acid batteries for solar applications. They truly offer greatly enhanced performance and functionality over traditional lead-acid batteries especially for solar street light application. In addition, they are suitable for different shape design allowing solar street lights manufactures to create more sustainable and efficient solar street light.
See an example of decorative smart solar street light in the following video:
On the flip side, LiFePO4 batteries are still almost 2-3 times more expensive than VRLA batteries. The price of LiFePO4 100Ah for solar street lights range from $450 up to $800 depending on brand. However if you include all other elements into calculation, such as time of replacement, efficiency and reliability, it is clear that LiFePO4 batteries are better solution for Solar Street Light application.
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