User:Mounisolar/sandbox

SolarOne Solutions Inc. develops and manufactures commercial-scale solar powered lighting solutions for applications that range from bus shelter and pathways to multi-lane roadways and large format signage. The Company is based in Needham, Massachusetts. Founded as SolarOne Solutions, LLC in 2004. Converted to a C Corp in 2008. Developed patented SO-Bright(R) control technology.

Technology
A basic solar powered lighting employs a solar module to charge a rechargeable battery during the day. The battery then delivers the stored power to the lights at night. Most solar powered lighting systems operate at nominal battery voltages of 12 or 24 volts DC. The primary benefit of these systems is that they can operate independent of the electrical grid. This avoids the costs associated with interconnection, trenching and high voltage regulations. Because they do not rely on power from the electric grid, the batteries and solar modules are selected so as to provide sufficient power to support lighting load year round. Most commercial-scale solar lighting systems are designed for the longest night and shortest day (winter solstice) and the longest average periods of inclement weather with very limited sun. Technologies and techniques that reduce the lighting load for a given lighting application reduce the size and of the solar/battery power package. Improvements in the efficacy and color rendering of light sources, techniques that improve the lighting coverage of a given area and lighting profiles that might dim or shut off lights during off-peak hours all provide means for reducing the lighting loads. SolarOne Solutions was an early pioneer of commercial site and area lighting systems using white (blue/yellow-phosphor) LEDs powered by solar starting in 2004 [Ref 1]. The Company has developed its own line of integrated battery charging/lighting controllers, current controlled LED drivers and LED light engines under the SO-Bright[Ref 2] brand name. The company holds a patent on techniques for optimizing the LED control with the power source [Ref 3]. The company also has patents on portable solar power systems [Ref 4 and 5].

Applications
The Company has delivered standard lighting products and customized solutions for many applications across a variety of climates. These climates range from equatorial areas of Africa and Latin America to Northern Germany and Canada. Examples of installations include roadway lighting for Atkins Road at Masdar City the Zero Carbon Footprint City in Abu Dhabi, parking lot and pedestrian lighting at Massachusetts Maritime Academy in Buzzards Bay Massachusetts, shelter security lighting Montreal and Toronto Canada, Woodward Avenue Tribute back lighting in Greater Detroit area, and Bike Path Lighting in City of Los Angeles. In addition to complete lighting solutions, the Company has provided grid-autonomous power packages for a range of outdoor lighting styles, such as decorative and contemporary, from brands that include Philips-Hadco, Philips-Gardco and Philips-Lumec. Some of SolarOne’s first decorative lighting installations were made in Sullivan County, New York at locations that included the Woodstock Monument at Bethel Woods Performing Arts Center, Swan Lake in Liberty NY and the Woodridge NY main street. These installations were monitored and evaluated by the Lighting Research Center [Ref 6].

Design and Layout
Municipal, institutional and commercial lighting standards are typically established by local codes and enforced by the local or institutional authorities. At a minimum, criteria includes: illumination levels, uniformity ratios, color temperature and color rendering. Those standards are usually based on IESNA (Illuminating Engineering Society of North America) or CIE (International Commission on Illumination) standards. The criteria typically establish the spacing and height of light sources. The power draw, light output and long-term performance of the LED Light fixtures are typically characterized in accredited lighting laboratories according to LM 79 and LM 80 standards. The power draw of the fixture and the nightly lighting profile, in combination with the solar resource and the temperature range of the location all go into defining the amount of solar power and battery storage required to operate the lighting system year round. NASA (National Aeronautics Space Administration) and NREL (National Renewable Energy Labs) maintain climatic models and databases of solar resources and temperatures. Appropriate deratings should be applied to account for variations from average climatic conditions, actual battery, solar panel and light engine characteristics in real world setting, and system losses. The basic metrics used to measure the ability of power system to serve the load include design solar resource, (expressed in watts-hr/m2 or sun-hours/day), Array-to-Load ratio and Days of No-Sun Storage. An Array-to-Load less the 1.0 indicate that the solar array will not support the load for the given design solar resource. The pole design is defined by the required fixture height on the poles, the environment it is subjected to, material it is made of, plus the size and weight of the solar array, light fixture and other equipment enclosures that will be mounted on the pole.

Installation and Operation
Installation of a solar power light pole is very similar to installation of the conventional light pole with the exception of the work required for electrical infrastructure. A solar light pole will require proper mounting orientation of the solar array. If the installation is in the Northern Hemisphere, this means orienting the solar panel to the south and visa-versa in the Southern Hemisphere and tilting the panel at latitude + 15 degrees from the horizontal. It also means properly connecting the components together, which can be made easier with weather-proof reverse polarity protected quick-connectors. Solar Lighting systems may have programming and diagnostic features that will enable users to set lighting profiles and conduct commissioning tests either by direct dials or switches on the controls or by remote communications. In general, properly designed commercial solar lighting systems using LED light sources should require very little maintenance over the course of one or two decades. The most common replacement item will be the battery at every 5 to 7 years.