Solar street lighting could be the next big thing. It complements an all-out push for sustainable infrastructure, helped by an extension of the 30% investment tax credit on residential and commercial solar from 2022 until 2032.

Why it matters

Streetlights—even LEDs—consume power in a world trying to conserve it. If solar can help that power consumption—voila! 

Of course, it requires an investment in a solar infrastructure, and reaping the benefits of such power isn’t as simple as installing it. Solar street lighting may require a backup battery if the wattage provided is insufficient or if there’s inadequate light to recharge. Foliage cover means street lighting in shaded areas may not be possible. Turning the lights on and off through switching can sometimes present challenges.

But there are many benefits to solar street lighting. Recent research by Market Research Future (MRFR) explains that solar street lighting systems comprise “high lumen LED bulbs, high-efficiency solar charge controllers, high-efficiency solar panels, and dusk to dawn sensors based on the reuse, reduce and recycle approach. Illuming roadways and street lighting systems with renewable energy sources is a crucial aspect of smart city projects. City governing agencies can curtail their expenses on their energy consumption (utility bills) and maintenance costs by implementing solar-power and solar-enabled lighting systems.”

The report indicates that the solar street lighting market is growing rapidly across the globe. MRFR projects that statewide initiatives taken up by governments for the electrification of city infrastructures and highways offer significant opportunities. 

The market is large and may be grouped by components into smaller segments that are opportunities for electrical contractors. These segments include controllers, lamps, compact fluorescent lights, sodium vapor, lead-acid and lithium-ion batteries and more. Solar lighting applications were broken into parking lots, highways and roadways, airport runways, manufacturing sites, airport runways and others.

Sunlight in Maryland

Maryland is leading the charge. The University of Maryland, Baltimore (UMB) Police Department and UMB Parking and Transportation Services have pushed to get 167 streetlights on campus after long discussions concerning the school’s dim street lighting. In fact, in a 2021 public safety survey, 11.86% of respondents rated lighting at UMB as “poor” and 38.34% as “fair.” This specifically applied to archaic high-pressure sodium light fixtures, which are being replaced with solar streetlights.

This was preceded by the Maryland Energy Administration announcing the opening of the FY22 Streetlight and Outdoor Lighting Efficiency pilot program in March. The program seeks to accelerate the conversion of outdoor lighting to more energy-efficient LED technology. MEA is offering a total of $2 million on a first-come, first-served basis to defray the cost of converting user-owned, pole-mounted light fixtures that illuminate streets, pedestrian paths, parking lots, athletic fields, parks and similar applications.

Big topic on campus

Thanks to tax incentives coupled with the benefits of solar power, solar street lighting is sprouting up in towns such as Elizabethtown, Ky.; Allentown, Pa.; and Seymour, Ind. While entire cities may not all be installing solar lighting at once, smaller environments, such as college and university campuses, are jumping on board.

The University of Massachusetts at Lowell is thinking big but starting small. They added eight solar battery lampposts along a major intersection and a canal overlook. According to an article on the UMass Lowell website, “each lamppost has a south-facing photovoltaic panel mounted at the top, along with a battery to store the captured solar energy.”

Appalachian State University in Boone, N.C., is dedicating a whole department to it. The Department of Sustainable Technology and the Built Environment recently received the EPA’s Zero Energy Design Designation and confirms their commitment to “advancing built environments that support sustainable futures.”

Bright future

The Inflation Reduction Act could be the tipping point for solar to take off. There have been some challenges since Jimmy Carter had solar panels installed on the roof of the White House, only to have them removed by Ronald Reagan.

But things are aiming straight with better solar technology, more favorable pricing, and of course, tax incentives. Plus, there seems to be better public acceptance and an embrace of sustainable power sources such as photovoltaic power with a seemingly infinite supply of sunlight. There is a bright future ahead.