With the wide application of solar street lights around the world, more and more users are focusing on their application needs in different scenarios. Solar street lights are not only in high demand in the commercial market but also show explosive growth in the residential market. While they may be similar in appearance, but there are significant differences between commercial and residential solar street lights in terms of configuration and cost. Understanding these differences can help you choose the right solar street light. The following is a comparative analysis of these two types of solar street lights.
1. Light Power and Brightness
– Residential solar street light:
The power of residential solar street lights is usually the advertised power, not the real power. For example, the advertised power may be between 100W-1000W, but the actual power is usually not more than 30 W. To understand the real power, you can use the brightness of the light source to deduce. For example, the actual brightness of the light source is 3000LM, and according to the light efficiency of 100-120LM/W, the actual power is about 25-30W.
– Commercial solar street light:
The power of commercial solar street lights is generally more realistic, and the actual power is usually between 30W and 200W. Commercial solar street lights use high luminous efficacy LED beads, the luminous efficacy can reach 130LM/W or more, and good high luminous efficacy LED beads can reach 180~210LM/W.
The luminous flux of the light source is the main basis for judging the brightness, not just the advertised power value.
2. System Voltage
– Residential solar street light:
Most Residential solar street lights use low voltage DC3.2V system, suitable for low demand scenarios such as family yards and neighbourhoods, and rural streets.
– Commercial solar street light:
Commercial solar street lights generally use DC12V (DC12.8V) or DC24V (DC25.6V) system, this voltage configuration can provide higher brightness and stability, suitable for urban main roads, commercial car parks and other high-demand scenarios.
3. Battery Quality
– Residential solar street light:
Residential solar street lights usually use B grade or used batteries with a battery life of about 2-3 years. Some high-end residential models will use A-grade batteries, the battery life can be extended to 5 years.
– Commercial solar street light:
Commercial solar street light adopts brand new A grade lithium iron phosphate battery, the battery cycle life is usually more than 2,000 times, the life span can reach 5~8 years, which ensures a long time stable operation, suitable for commercial environments that need continuous lighting.
4. Battery Capacity
Battery capacity (WH) = Voltage (V) x Battery (AH)
– Residential solar street light:
The battery capacity of Residential solar street light is relatively small, usually reduce the cost by lower battery capacity, shorter lighting time, poor performance in cloudy and rainy weather.
– Commercial solar street light:
The battery capacity of commercial solar street lights is usually several times that of residential models, providing longer lighting time and stable operation even in rainy and cloudy weather.
5. Solar Controller
– Residential solar street light:
The controllers of Residential solar street lights are mostly bare PCB circuit boards or integrated circuit boards (integrated with the light source), with low charging efficiency and simple control procedures. Some high-end residential models will use PWM controllers, but the overall performance is limited.
– Commercial solar street light:
Commercial solar street lights use high-efficiency PWM or MPPT controllers, with high charging efficiency, support for multi-stage operating modes, and Over-charging /Over-discharging protection functions. They are programmable and adaptable, and can operate stably under various environmental conditions.
6. Light Body Material
– Residential solar street light:
The housing of Residential solar street lights is usually made of ABS plastic or lighter aluminium alloy/die-casting aluminium, which is lighter in weight and suitable for home use.
– Commercial solar street light:
The housings of commercial solar streetlights are made of thickened heavy-duty aluminium alloy or die-cast aluminium for greater durability and wind resistance, suitable for commercial environments with high loads and long-term use.
7. Price and Cost
– Residential solar street light:
The price of residential solar street light is relatively low, suitable for family budgets or small places.
– Commercial solar street light:
Commercial solar streetlights are more costly as they have more stringent configuration and performance requirements and are suitable for commercial use.
Summary and Recommendations:
It is crucial to choose the right solar street light according to different usage applications:
– Rural road, courtyard or community use: for these low-demand environments, it is sufficient to choose cost-effective residential solar street lights to meet the basic lighting needs and focus on the basic configuration.
– Scenarios such as urban main roads, commercial car parks and industrial parks: these places have high requirements for lighting effect and stability, and it is recommended to choose commercial solar street lights, giving priority to products with high power, high battery capacity and stability to ensure stable lighting for a long time.
Regardless of whether you choose residential or commercial solar street lights, you should make the best decision based on the specific use environment, demand and budget, which can meet the functional requirements and effectively control the cost.
