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How Long Until Solar Lights Pay for Themselves? - House of Home | Furniture
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How Long Until Solar Lights Pay for Themselves?

  As electrical costs continue to rise, the demand for electricity continues to increase. Lights alone account for 219 billion kWh of electricity that is consumed annually.  Lights are responsible for approximately 8% of carbon emissions around the world which equates to 201.48 billion pounds annually. There is a way that we can reduce our carbon emissions while saving money each month and that is to replace electrically powered lighting systems with solar lighting. There are many different types of solar lights to choose from starting with small accent lights and moving up to powerful street and parking lot lighting which can give 10,000 lumens of light to an otherwise darkened area.

How Much Money Can You Save with Solar Lighting?

You can save several cents daily on your utility power – anywhere from 2 cents to 40 cents each day, but that will depend upon the wattage of your solar lighting. It also depends on how long you run your lighting for and the cost of local utilities. There are many more factors when you take into consideration the amount of time it will take for your solar lighting to pay for itself. There are several steps in the process including calculating your consumption of electrical light and determining the amount of money that solar lighting will save you over the course of a year.

How is Light Energy Consumption Calculated?

When we look at the consumption of energy, it is measured in kWh and that is the number of kilowatts utilized by your electrical system in just one hour. You can easily calculate the daily power consumption by multiplying the operating wattage of your lights by how many hours the system is in use daily.  If you were to utilize a 100-watt streetlight from sunrise to sunset (12 working hours) then the daily consumption of power would be 1.2 kWh per day. This is a calculation of the amount of energy that is being utilized. Power company charges vary depending on the location. Some of them include fees, rentals, fuel charges and maintenance fees. Solar LED lighting systems are different than grid lights. They produce their own power and do not draw from the electrical grid. These systems require no maintenance to keep them running to their fullest potential. You will only need to change the batteries over the 30-year life of the light and those should be changed according to usage or every five years or so.

How Much Money Will You Save with Solar Lighting?

If you are going with a 100-watt street light example, this light would consume around 36 kWh in a single month. The electrical grid would cost you about 14 cents for a kWh so the 100W streetlight would cost around $5 per month or $60 per year. There could also be some additional fees with those energy costs. If you instead installed a 100-watt solar streetlight, you would be able to save that $60 per year while eliminating all additional fees because you own that solar light. Solar lighting is also protected from the rising cost of electricity. The average yearly increase in electrical costs is about 1.5%. With that in mind, your annual savings work out to be more than $60 per year. The more lights you install, the more cost savings you gain. The overall cost is expensive in the beginning and then lessens as each year passes.

The Cost of Maintenance of Solar Lighting

When it comes to maintenance, solar lighting has very little or no need for maintenance. The only maintenance required, as previously mentioned, is to change the battery in the solar cell every five years or when required. When the panel is connected to electronics, it acts like a photocell, but without any moving parts, there is nothing that will really fail. If solar lighting starts to break down, the repairs are straight-forward. If smaller solar lights stop working, you can use the guides provided by manufacturers of large-scale solar power systems to guide you through the necessary repairs. The problem is often shading or the panel not getting enough light to operate it. The other problems could be that wires are not installed correctly, or the fuse has been blown. Most solar systems run on 12- or 24-volts DC so there is not need for any special equipment other than a voltmeter that you would use to analyze any issues with the system. Electrical lights are installed with photosensors which work to turn the lights off and on. Photosensors can break down or fail and this means that the lights are left on twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, which ends up costing you more in energy. This can also require upgrades on a constant basis. Electrical lights have a connection to a power grid but if there are breaks in the electrical lines or failure, then you should hire an electrician to look at and repair the problem for you. Costs can become quite expensive if you need extensive repairs.

Cost of Installation

Solar lighting systems can be expensive to purchase, and particularly systems that are designed for commercial use. It can be difficult to find the point where you will break even when you are calculating the cost of your energy savings and the outlay for the system. You will need to consider the project as a whole and then think about where you are going to be spending your money. If you consider what the costs are to bring power from the electrical grid to an out-of-the-way location, you might be surprised. In fact, overhead power can cost anywhere between $5 and $10 per linear foot with an associated cost of between $500 and $3k per pole to run that electrical power to the location where the power is required. If you want to run that power underground, it costs between $20 and $40 per linear foot and extra costs for the transformers. Once this system is installed, there is also a requirement for an electrical meter which costs between $400 and $1000 for installation. The balance of the installation is similar when it comes to electrical and solar. Pole footers need to secure and poured and then the light poles need to be installed. Wiring then must be run between poles when it comes to wired lighting. Solar lighting does not require lighting because the wiring is all self-contained and nothing needs to be run between poles.

What is the Actual Amount of Time that it Takes for Solar Lighting to Pay for Themselves?

There are many factors to consider, but we will look at two systems with a side-by-side comparison. A complete solar lighting system that just needs set up is usually around $5,000. This can also depend on where the system is being located, the operation requirements and several other factors. A light fixture with a pole would cost about $1,500 but that also depends on the addons and options. There would be another approximately $700 for installation costs for the foundation and pole installation. The solar lights just need to be mounted on a pole whereas electrical lights need the electricity brought to the pole which costs more money, anywhere from $2,000 to $10,000 or even more in certain parts of the world. Underground wiring can cost a lot of money. The two systems are completely different from one another from the costs to the usage of electricity. Solar lighting will cost you nothing in electrical costs from the moment you install it until the moment you have to replace the battery. Electrical lights that are mounted on poles will cost you a monthly amount each month. Some governments offer incentives for people and companies to install solar lighting options. These incentives could be the thing that pushes you towards the option of solar. With the electrical savings, the easy installation and the rebates and incentives, solar is a great option. There are some cases where grid lighting still makes sense over solar lighting, but these are few and far between.  If you are thinking of installing outdoor lighting, then you want to ensure that you save money, and the installation of the system is simple. You might find it surprising that you have been spending so much money on traditional lighting when the option of solar can help you to save money and reduce your carbon footprint.  If you are still wondering which option is better, remember the pros and cons of traditional lighting. It is best if you do a side-by-side comparison and then consider the costs on an annual basis. While solar lighting has an up-front outlay, electrical lighting will cost you money all year long. Solar lighting pays for itself over the next several years and then that cost is eliminated once the solar lighting panel and unit is in place for several years. If you decide to go with solar, you are making a great choice. Sources: https://www.eia.gov/electricity/