It’s a fact that over 10 million tons of carbon dioxide are produced annually just from residential outdoor lighting. That’s an extreme contribution to the world’s overall pollution. 

And that’s only residential lighting. Imagine if we were able to remove carbon emissions entirely. The energy crisis, health problems from pollution, businesses facing skyrocketing energy bills–all that would be gone! Unfortunately, that’s only possible in a perfect world, but we’re here to tell you that we can reduce energy bills for companies and reduce the carbon footprint through something often overlooked: solar parking lot lights.

What Do You Get with Solar Parking Lot Lights?

A lot of “green initiative” individuals are huge proponents for solar parking lot lights simply because they’re great for the environment and they help commuters travel safely. Through the power of the photovoltaic effect, these lights store energy given from the light of the sun in their batteries and then use it to light public areas when the sun drops below the horizon. There’s nothing to burn nor any power lines that need to be connected. We like to call solar parking lot lights “the lights for the energy revolution.” Beyond that, solar lighting is a lot cheaper than many people think. The price of a solar panel in the mid 70s was about 76 dollars a watt. Can you guess how much a solar panel price is today?

In 2013, solar panel prices were about 75 cents a watt. So 1 watt of energy produced by a solar cell costs similar to the change in the small drawer in your car.  The cost-effectiveness for solar panel technology (specifically for monocrystalline silicon solar panels) has skyrocketed in the last decade. It’s a fantastic solution for parking lot and street lighting that saves money and reduces the overall carbon footprint. 

More Than Just a Matter of Green

Solar parking lot lights, although not the latest topic around campfires, do more than just save some money while helping the environment. First off, every light works independently. There’s no power connection needed, no trenching required, and no energy bills since they don’t burn fossil fuels! If the power goes out on a traditional lighting system, so do the lights! That’s not the case with solar lighting. In fact, we’ve seen cases of solar lights holding up during strong hurricane winds to remain on after the storm! That’s in stark contrast to traditional lighting which would need heavy repairs from the high winds ravaging the area.

Secondly, several models of solar parking lot lights are actually portable via a forklift or just two people. They’re fantastic for construction projects where permanently-grounded lights won’t bode well. Solar parking lot lights work great in airports–if there’s a power failure, no need to worry about commuters wandering in parking lots, looking for their cars at night. Or, if you prefer having the portable option just in case, feel free to go that route. The key aspect to solar lighting is that these lights can go virtually anywhere since they don’t need to be tied to an electrical grid. Just be sure that they have access to the sun–even though the best lighting systems are rated to last over a week on a single charge, the panel won’t cull much power if it sits in the shade of a tree permanently.

Head-Turning Lights

Solar parking lot lights tend to get a little more attention than traditional lights. They preserve lot beautification since concrete doesn’t need to be drilled into to access power. A lot of media outlets tend to give attention to cities that make efforts to install renewable energy utilities, especially since they’re such a public-facing installation. On top of all the benefits you’ll receive for these lights, you might get featured in a newspaper or on television for deciding to install solar on your city’s streets. That, in turn, should generate business. Solar is great for publicity and business!

In Conclusion

Solar parking lot lights bring more to the table than just improving the environment. They preserve what matters to business, cities, and people–saving money and ensuring safety. If you’re in the market for a new lighting project for your business, or if you need to light up your city streets with the most cost-effective lights, consider solar. The savings are there! But don’t take our word for it–do the research yourself and you’ll find it’s the best option to light up parking lots for safe commuter passage. Thanks for reading.