Should States Invest In Solar Streetlighting?

In areas where cabling and grid power maintenance might be a challenge, investing in solar streetlights is a good option.

- Paromik Chakraborty

The call for energy-efficiency has been stronger than ever, and states like Delhi are steering the drive right from the streets. AC mains-driven LED streetlights are great as low-cost power savers. On the other hand, those who intend to move away from drawing grid power altogether, should consider investing in solar LED streetlights. There are options to ensure optimal returns from street lighting setups, some of which we explore here.

AC mains-driven LED streetlights: Quick returns

The initial investment in LED technology is higher but it guarantees at least 50 per cent more energy savings than conventional fluorescent lights that dominated the market until recently.

A single LED streetlight setup costs between ₹ 2000 and ₹ 5000 depending on a number of factors, including the LED lumen output, wattage, component quality and cabling. Luminaires of the LED setup generally cost ₹ 30-40 per watt, so power requirements of the user play a major role in determining the end product’s cost. For example, while a 12W system may cost around ₹ 850, a 40W luminaire can cost up to ₹ 2500. Additional expenses include cables for AC mains connection, pole for installing the luminaire and installation charges. If the luminaire can be mounted on a wall, there is no need for the pole.

In areas with stable power availability, state governments can expect a quick return on their investment in AC mains-driven streetlights. An executive from Electropower, a Faridabad-based LED streetlight manufacturer, explains, “An 80W fluorescent light with a choke and other components will consume around 120 watts. This fluorescent light can be easily replaced with a 40W LED streetlight producing equal or brighter light. The replacement creates an offset energy of 120-40=80W, that is, each replaced LED streetlight can save 80W energy per day with no other running expenses throughout the life of LED streetlights.”