One of the main advantages to solar lighting systems is that there is no trenching required, so cables do not have to be laid out and set up for lighting to be operational. Your simple set up the system and then it starts to work after it has had a chance to obtain solar energy to charge it up. There are certain questions that you should ask before you consider the installation of solar lighting for your commercial project. These questions include:

• 1.What is the area that needs to be illuminated?

There are differences between street lighting and pathways. Streetlights need higher poles and brighter light levels than a trail or a park. You may need to install the lighting in a parking lot, at a boat dock, on a residential street, a pathway or at the entrance to a building. Once you have decided what needs to be lit up then you can work on the type of lighting that is needed to achieve the proper lighting. Lighting is something that assists with night-time navigation and security. When proper lighting is installed in the area that needs to be illuminated, you will notice many advantages that will compound over time.

• 2.Is There a Specific Pole Height and Type?

Pole height can have an affect on the lighting system that is needed for a particular project. The pole type can have an affect on the cost of installation because you will need higher, thicker poles. For example, the height of an average streetlight is approximately 30 feet while a pathway light may be under 20 feet. Light poles can be buried and embedded or bolted to a cement pad.

• 3.What are the Required Light Levels and are they Uniform?

There could be some standards for certain states or municipalities, and you will need to determine what those are. You also need to know if the light levels are able to be met on the ground. Different types of lighting are required in different situations. You can avoid overspending by ensuring that your lighting system uses the right components for the needs of your project instead of having a system that is too large and poorly designed.

• 4.Is the System Efficient?

If the system works correctly, you will be able to ensure that it meets your lighting requirements over the long term. You do not want to deal with dimming lights or battery failure. Worst of all, you do not want to deal with lights that shut off altogether and are not there when they are needed.

• 5.Where will the Installation be Located?

You need to provide an accurate location for the project because different areas will be exposed to varying amounts of sunlight daily. Solar lighting systems and panels installed in sunnier locations would be much smaller than those installed in locations where solar light is not necessarily reliable. The manufacturer has a better idea on the system that needs to be created when they know the exact location where the system is to be installed. This can help in avoiding the installation of a system that is too large or too small for the area. The specific street address can be useful for the assessment of objects that will pose shading obstructions such as buildings or trees and prevent your solar panels from getting enough sunlight which will decrease the performance of the system. Certain other factors may have an affect on your lighting installation including:

• Average hours of daily sunlight received daily which will help you to decide if you need larger solar modules to meet your commercial lighting needs.

• The amount of lighting you use which will determine your requirements and the setup of your solar modules.

• Materials located within your commercial space that might affect your lighting and light production

• 6.Find out About the Colour Temperature

You will need to understand the colour of lighting that is required because that will affect the power output and is a big factor into the cost of the project. Light colour temperature is often a preference however, some cities prefer to have warmer temperature colours because they seem to be more environmentally friendly and better for health. Colour temperature can be described as warm, for example, blue is considered a cool colour and red is considered a warm colour, but the opposite is true when you consider light colours. Therefore, blue would be warm and red would be cool when you are looking at colour temperatures.

• 7.Operating Profile – Questions to Ask

How long do your lights need to be on every night? Are the light levels needed to be met for the whole night or just at certain times? If you are not sure, the manufacturer should be able to offer you some assistance. One key factor of a solar lighting project is the operating profile because manufacturers will turn their systems to meet power management and it is based on the operating profile. Some examples of different operating profiles include:

• Off at a certain time (or lower lighting): an operating profile that has a schedule to dim during certain lower periods of activity or the lighting runs at the lighting requirement to a specific time and then turns completely off.

• Sunset to Sunrise: - the lighting runs during all dark periods at the same lighting output all night long. There is no point where the lighting is dimmed or changed throughout the time period where the lights are on.

• Dim during hours that are off peak so lighting will run at the required output for up to five hours after sunset and then dim a certain percentage, then return to 100% until the sun comes up again.

• 8.What is the Location of Potential Failure Points?

There are three main points of failure when it comes to solar lighting. These are:

• Defects in the operational profile.

• The lighting installed in the commercial operation is not adequate for the needs of the business.

• The solar Panels do not absorb enough energy during the day to provide adequate lighting throughout the night and dark period.

There could also be some common breakdowns with the mechanical equipment, and you should have an idea on what you can do in these situations to correct those problems.

• 9.Do I need to Hire an Experienced Contractor?

If you want the system that you are installing to have the best chance of operating correctly, it is a great idea to hire an experienced contactor. This contractor will be able to help you choose the right set up to meet your needs and you have the best chance of having a fully operational solar lighting system without any problems. You will also find that an experienced contractor can have your system up and running more quickly than you would be able to if you were to do it on your own. It takes the guess work out of where the various components need to be located, how they need to be installed and the best location for their installation. You also will not have to mess around the intricate wiring that needs to be in place for connections to batteries and ensuring that the entire system is all ready to operate and store solar energy as it is gathered. Solar energy is free and renewable, unlike electrical energy which is a draw on the environment and the planet in general.

With solar powered lighting systems your company stands to save a great deal of money over time. You may be surprised on how much money you are spending on electrical lighting and how much money you will not be spending in the future. The best part of this is that although you will be putting out a bit of money to set up your solar powered system, you will not receive monthly bills and you are going to be very excited about the savings over time. Your company bottom line will look much better, and you are going to be happy with the resulting funds.

Solar lighting systems have come a long way since they were introduced nearly one hundred years ago. These systems are more efficient, easier to install, easier to maintain and last much longer than traditional lighting systems. You may wonder why you waited so long to get the lighting installed when you see and feel all of the advantages that will occur once you decide to go with solar lighting systems. Most commercial businesses do not think of solar because they feel that it is not going to be sufficient for what they require it for, but the truth is that it is advantageous and well suited to any commercial operation.