Article about whether your solar street lights will fail

Will my solar street lights fail? 5 signs your solar lights can be trusted

We understand you can’t take any risks when it comes to commercial solar street lights. If your project or site needs constant lighting for increased visibility, safety or a sense of security in public areas, you need to trust your solar street lights are high quality, reliable and fit for purpose.

There are several factors that contribute to reliable and constant solar lighting.

Here’s five tell tale signs you can trust your solar street lights will stand the test of time and perform reliably for mission critical lighting projects.

 

1. Your solar lighting systems comply with Australian and New Zealand Standards

To meet Australian and New Zealand standards your solar lighting systems must comply with the following standards:

  • AS/NZS 3000 Electrical Installations
  • AS/NZS 4509 Stand-Alone Solar Power Systems Design
  • AS/NZS 5033 Installation and Safety Requirements for Photovoltaic (PV) arrays
  • AS/NZS 5139 Safety of Battery Systems for use with Power Conversion Equipment

 

2. Your solar lighting system has the correct size battery and solar panel for your lighting requirements and location

The calculation for determining battery and solar panel size needs to include:

  • sophisticated weather and solar radiation data for the specific location;
  • a specialised system sizing tool that uses inputs such as peak sunlight hours, night-time length, average and worst-case consecutive ‘dark out days’, as well as the necessary de-rates for performance degradation; and
  • the ‘power in equals power out’ rule.

You can ask your solar lighting supplier to show you how they calculate the correct size battery and solar panel.

 

3. A shading assessment has been completed

A shading assessment ensures your solar panels receive direct sunlight all day all year round, or the necessary de-rates are allowed for if the solar panel is subject to some shade.

 

4. Your solar lights come from a reputable supplier

You can trust your solar lighting supplier has been vetted if they’re a Local Government Procurement (LGP) or Localbuy preferred supplier.

Other markers can include a history of successful work (case studies) and referrals from people and companies you trust.

 

5. Your solar lights are backed by strong product warranties and performance guarantees

Talk to your supplier about what performance guarantees and warranties are provided with your solar lighting systems.

 

For more information on solar street lights, including products, applications and answers to FAQs check out https://orcasolarlighting.com.au/solar-street-lighting

FAQs

1) How do I know if my solar street lights are compliant?
Check they meet AS/NZS 3000, 4509, 5033 and 5139. Ask for certificates and a compliance summary from the supplier.

2) What’s the biggest cause of solar street light failure?
Under-sized battery/panel for the site. If winter performance, dark-out days and de-rates weren’t modelled, lights can dim or switch off overnight.

3) How should sizing be calculated for reliability?
With local weather/solar radiation data, winter worst-case, night length, consecutive dark days, and the rule power in = power out—all shown in a sizing report.

4) Do I really need a shading assessment?
Yes. Shade cuts charging and shortens battery life. Ask for a per-pole shading report and any de-rates or design tweaks (e.g., remote-mounted panels).

5) What makes a supplier trustworthy for solar street lights?
LGP/Local Buy status, proven case studies, strong references, and clear documentation (designs, calculations, commissioning and O&M).

6) What warranties should quality solar lights have?
A solid product warranty plus a performance guarantee tied to the lighting category and run-time. Clarify battery warranty terms and exclusions.

7) How often do batteries need replacing?
Typically 5–10 years (chemistry dependent). Your design should show expected cycle depth and autonomy so you’re not replacing early.

8) Will my lights stay on during blackouts?
Yes—stand-alone solar is grid-independent. If sized correctly for winter, they’ll keep running through outages.

9) Can solar street lights work on partially shaded sites?
Often, with lower wattage, different control settings, or a slave pole putting panels in full sun feeding the shaded light.

10) What documents should I ask for before purchase?
Compliance checklist (AS/NZS), system sizing report, shading assessment, lighting plan to the nominated category, and written warranty/guarantee terms.