Solar Lighting for Australia’s Mining Industry

Reliable, durable and cost-effective solar lighting engineered for Australia’s harshest environments

When you’re running a mining site, your onsite lighting needs to be reliable, safe, and durable to keep your operations running and your people safe.

However, reliable lighting becomes challenging when your site doesn’t have access to mains power, your power grid supply is unreliable, your lighting fails to withstand harsh mining conditions, or you have no choice but to run costly and noisy generators to provide lighting at night.

The stakes are high in Australia’s mining industry. Whether you’re lighting up a work site, roads, pathways, or accommodation camps, you need to trust your lights won’t let you down.

For over 17 years, Australian-owned company Orca Solar Lighting has been providing industrial-grade solar lights, designed and developed in Australia, for mission-critical applications where unpredictable performance isn’t an option.

Designed to perform reliably in the harshest weather conditions

Orca Solar Lighting’s solar light solutions comply with Australian and New Zealand lighting and safety standards and stand the test of time.

Since 2007, the company has worked with some of Australia’s most well-known organisations, including Rio Tinto and BHP, to deliver high-quality industrial-grade solar lighting solutions that perform reliably and save on upfront trenching and cabling, as well as ongoing power usage costs.

Jamie Janides, General Manager of Orca Solar Lighting, highlights the variety in solar lighting applications for mines:

“Every site and application differ depending on the area that needs lighting, the customer’s specific lighting requirements, weather conditions, and surrounds. Mine managers can require solar lighting solutions from wall-mounted fence perimeter lighting and pathway lighting to temporary or permanent work site lighting. We work with every customer to provide a custom solar lighting design and fit-for-purpose solar lighting solution so their installation provides reliable and constant lighting.”

Solar lighting is gaining popularity for helping meet net-zero emissions goals, with additional benefits realized:

“Solar lighting provides significant environmental advantages with no noise, fumes, glare, or ongoing diesel usage and costs. Mine managers are also welcoming the benefits of reliability, durability, and cost efficiencies of solar lighting,” said Jamie.

Highly Reliable, Mission-Critical Lighting

Orca Solar Lighting designs its products to perform even in the worst weather. Using accurate weather and solar data, the company ensures every system remains operational-even without sunlight. The solar lighting solutions are compliant with Australian and New Zealand lighting standards, providing peace of mind regarding quality and safety.
Their products also offer strong warranties and performance guarantees, with battery backup providing at least four days of autonomy to ensure reliability through poor weather. Unlike mains-powered lighting, solar systems allow for uninterrupted operations during blackouts.

Durable to Withstand Tough Mine Conditions

Orca Solar Lighting products are built to handle extreme weather, high winds, and dust. Their poles and footings, including the Vertex and Avero models, are certified for wind regions A, B, and C, based on pole foundation type and soil conditions.

The products require minimal maintenance-solar panels and luminaires can be cleaned with soapy water, and the batteries are maintenance-free.

Achieve Cost Efficiencies

The company’s lighting solutions offer the highest reliability with the lowest lifecycle costs. The quick installation saves on upfront trenching and cabling expenses, while operational costs remain low with no diesel usage and minimal maintenance.

Designed for Flexible Lighting Needs

Temporary solar lighting provides flexibility for mines, allowing easy relocation as sites develop or expand. The lights are reusable for future projects and can be deployed quickly during emergencies.

The temporary solar lights can be easily moved on most projects dependent on height and weight. If relocating to another project, the solar lighting system is easily dismantled for ease of transport to a new site. The concrete blocks the lights are mounted on are stackable for transport and can be can also be repositioned on any site. Multiple pick-up points on the concrete blocks allow for easy lifting by crane or forklift from any direction.

For more information or enquiries, visit https://orcasolarlighting.com.au/contactus 

FAQs

1) Why are mines switching to solar lighting?
Faster installs, no trenching or diesel, lower lifecycle costs, and lights keep running during grid outages—ideal for remote, harsh sites.

2) Are Orca’s solar lights tough enough for mine conditions?
Yes—engineered for heat, dust and high winds, with poles/foundations certified for Wind Regions A, B or C (foundation/soil dependent).

3) Will solar lights run all night through bad weather?
Quality designs include multi-night autonomy (e.g., ~4 nights) using local weather/solar data so operations continue during cloudy spells.

4) Do solar lights meet Australian/NZ standards for mines?
They can—when specified to the relevant AS/NZS lighting and electrical standards with a site-specific lighting plan.

5) Where on a mine site do solar lights make the most sense?
Access roads and intersections, haul or service routes, fence lines/perimeters, pathways, laydown yards, camps, and temporary work zones.

6) How do solar lights cut costs for mining projects?
No grid connection, trenching or cabling; no electricity bills; minimal maintenance—driving down both upfront and ongoing costs.

7) Can we move solar lighting as the pit or work front shifts?
Yes—relocatable options (block-mounted/trailer) can be forklift or crane moved and reused on future projects.

8) What maintenance do industrial solar lights need on site?
Periodic cleaning of panels/luminaires with soapy water, routine checks on fixings; batteries are maintenance-free and replaced on a multi-year cycle.

9) Do solar lights help with sustainability targets?
Absolutely—renewable energy, no generator noise or fumes, and reduced emissions support mine decarbonisation goals.

10) How does Orca ensure reliability before deployment?
Each job gets a custom design with weather-based system sizing and reliability simulations, plus documented autonomy and compliance.

11) Are solar lights bright enough for safety and security?
When correctly sized and optically specified, they deliver consistent, compliant illumination for visibility, cameras and worker safety.

12) Who has Orca supplied in mining?
Since 2007, Orca has delivered solutions across Australia, including for major miners such as Rio Tinto and BHP.