General Rules for Using Solar Lighting
- A solar lighting solution requires that the Solar Panels can point south without any obstructions (Buildings, Trees, etc). Note the Sun is lower in the Winter.
- The nearest Mains connection is far away (eg 1 Km), or is nearby but difficult to access (involves digging up a busy road etc).
- Solar Lighting is more suitable if you only need a few Solar Lights (typically 1 or 2) and the extra cost of using Solar is less than the cost of connecting to Mains Electricity.
- Solar Lighting is more suitable if you only need lighting during the Summer, or for a few hours each night in Winter. For example: Your Premises closes at 7pm each night – so during Winter, you only need external light from (say) 4pm to 7pm, or you have very little traffic after this.
- Solar is generally not suitable for busy areas where lighting is required all night. This may be possible in Summer time but for December/January, it will only be practical for maybe 3 to 5 hours. This can be extended by having a lower light level or by using dimming when the area is vacant.
