Common Causes of Solar Street Light Failures

Solar street lights have now become the mainstream choice for lighting equipment in countries around the world and have long surpassed traditional street lights. As a new type of environmentally friendly lighting equipment, solar street lights, although free from the constraints of the power grid, may still encounter some sudden malfunctions during use. These not only affect the normal operation of solar street lights and the safety of night lighting, but also increase maintenance costs. As an experienced supplier of solar street lights, NOKIN will systematically sort out and analyze the key factors causing faults in solar street lights for you, and at the same time provide some targeted troubleshooting and solutions for your reference. We hope it will be helpful to you!

What is A Solar Street Light Malfunction?

The "malfunctions" of solar street lights do not merely refer to them not lighting up at all. Their coverage is much broader, mainly including the following situations: the lights cannot be lit normally, the brightness significantly decreases after being lit, low charging efficiency resulting in insufficient battery life, and abnormal light control (such as being lit during the day, not lighting up or flashing at night), etc.
 

Classifying faults from the component dimension is the key to efficiently troubleshooting problems. The core components of solar street lights include batteries, solar panels, controllers, LED light sources and drivers, cables, etc. The fault manifestations and causes of different components vary greatly. Classifying and analyzing by components can make the troubleshooting more targeted.

The Main Causes of Solar Street Light Malfunctions

Solar Street Light Battery Issues

As the energy storage core of solar street lights, the performance of the battery directly determines the endurance of the light and is also one of the components with a high incidence of failure.

Battery aging and capacity decline

As the number of charge and discharge cycles increases, the activity of the chemical substances inside the battery decreases, and the capacity will decline significantly. This is an irreversible natural phenomenon. When the capacity decays to a certain extent, it will lead to a shortened night lighting time for street lights, and they may even be unable to support full-night lighting.

Damage caused by deep discharge or overcharging

If the controller protection function fails, the battery may experience deep discharge (continuing to discharge after the power is exhausted) or overcharging (overcharging). Both of these situations can seriously damage the internal structure of the battery, leading to its direct scrapping.

Life differences among different solar street light battery types

The batteries widely used in solar street lights are mainly lithium batteries and lead-acid batteries, which have significant differences in service life and user experience. The service life of lithium batteries usually reaches 5 to 8 years, and their discharge performance is more stable in low-temperature environments. The service life of lead-acid batteries is generally only 2 to 3 years. Not only are they heavier, but they also require more maintenance work on a daily basis. Over time, the maintenance cost is relatively higher.
 

Solar Panel Problems

Solar panels are the core of energy collection, and their photoelectric conversion efficiency directly affects the charging effect, with the external environment having a particularly significant impact on them.

Dust, dirt accumulation and obstruction:

When exposed to the outdoors for a long time, the surface of solar panels is prone to accumulate dust, leaves, oil stains and other dirt. These attachments can block sunlight, reduce the photoelectric conversion efficiency and lead to insufficient charging.

Partial shading affects the overall output

Unlike overall shading, when solar panels are partially obscured (such as by tree branches, billboard shadows, bird droppings), a "hot spot effect" occurs. Not only does the obscured part fail to generate electricity, but it may also lead to a significant drop in the output power of the entire solar panel and even damage the components.

Physical damage or rupture

In strong wind weather, the impact of debris and improper operation during installation can both cause the glass of solar panels to break and the backsheet to be damaged. In addition, bird droppings, acid rain and other factors can also cause corrosion to the panels, affecting the power generation performance.

Solar Street Light Controller & Sensor Failures

The controller is the "brain" of solar street lights, responsible for regulating the charging and discharging process. Sensors (mainly light sensors) are responsible for sensing the ambient brightness. Their failure will directly lead to the disorder of system operation.

Controller damage

Aging, short circuits or damage from lightning strikes of the electronic components inside the controller can lead to abnormal charging and discharging logic, which may cause problems such as overcharging and overdischarging of the battery, failure to start street lights, and disorder of night lighting time.

Malfunction of the light sensor

The light sensor is the core component that controls the "off during the day and on at night" of solar powered street lights. If the sensor malfunctions, it may result in the street lights mistakenly lighting up during the day (wasting electricity) or not starting up even when the light is dim at night.

Solar Street Light LED & Driver Failures

The LED light source is the light-emitting core of solar street lights, while the driving component is responsible for providing stable current and voltage to the LED. Any problem with either of them will affect the lighting effect.

LED light source failure

Leds themselves have certain light attenuation characteristics, and their brightness will gradually decline after long-term use. If the driving current is unstable or the heat dissipation is poor, the LED may flicker, flicker on and off, or even burn out directly.

Drive component failure

The driver is a key component that connects the power supply to the LED. If the driver is of poor quality or the heat dissipation design is unreasonable, overheating and damage may occur. Poor stability of the driver can also cause fluctuations in the output current, which in turn may lead to malfunctions of the LED light source.

Solar Street Lights Installation & Wiring Issues

Many faults of solar street lights are not due to component quality issues, but rather result from improper installation and cable problems. Such faults are highly concealed and difficult to troubleshoot.

Wiring issue

Loose wiring and poor contact can cause the circuit to be in a state of intermittent on and off, which may lead to the street light flickering or failing to light up. If the positive and negative poles are connected in reverse (polarity reversed), it will directly damage the controller and battery, causing the entire system to completely collapse. In addition, inadequate waterproof treatment at the wiring points can also cause malfunctions. Rainwater seeping in can easily lead to short circuits in the circuit, affecting the normal operation of street lights.

Cable and connector issues

Missing or poorly grounded ground wires will increase the risk of damage from lightning strikes. Insufficient cable diameter will cause excessive loss during current transmission, affecting charging and lighting. In outdoor environments, cable joints are prone to corrosion and oxidation, which leads to increased contact resistance and blocked circuits.

Environmental & Weather Impacts

Solar street lights are exposed to the outdoors for a long time. The natural environment and weather changes will have a direct impact on the performance and structure of their components.

Impact of extreme weather

Long-term rainy weather can lead to insufficient light for solar panels, a significant drop in charging efficiency, and the battery power cannot be fully charged, which in turn affects night lighting. Natural disasters such as strong winds, ice and snow, and sandstorms may directly damage solar panels, light posts and lights. High-temperature environments will accelerate battery degradation and the aging of electronic components, while low temperatures will reduce battery capacity and discharge performance.

Other environmental factors

Salt spray in coastal areas can corrode metal components and cable joints. Dust accumulation in dusty areas can block solar panels and reduce power generation efficiency.

Solar Street Light Design Flaws

In addition to the above-mentioned usage and environmental factors, unreasonable product design can also plant potential faults. Such problems may not be obvious in the initial stage of use, but they will gradually surface over long-term use.

Component configuration mismatch

The power of the solar panel does not match the capacity of the battery. For instance, if the power of the solar panel is too small, it cannot fully charge the battery. Or the battery capacity is too large, and the solar panels cannot fully charge it for a long time, causing the battery to be in a state of long-term undercharge and accelerating its aging.

Unreasonable installation Angle and position

If the installation angle of solar panels is not optimized according to the local latitude, or if the installation location is blocked by surrounding buildings or trees, it will lead to insufficient light collection, low charging efficiency, and fail to meet the night lighting requirements.

Troubleshooting and Solution Suggestions for Solar Street Lights

In response to the above-mentioned causes of faults, the following targeted measures can be adopted for investigation and resolution to reduce the occurrence rate of faults and extend the service life of solar LED street lights:

Regular Cleaning and Inspection

The surface of the solar panels should be cleaned regularly, and dust, dirt, bird droppings and other debris should be removed in time to ensure that there are no obstructions on the panels. At the same time, check whether the cable joints are loose or corroded. Once any problems are found, tighten or replace them in a timely manner. In addition, pay attention to the sealing performance of the lights. If the seal is not tight, waterproof treatment should be done in time to prevent rainwater from seeping in and damaging the internal components.

Component Quality and Parameter Matching

The quality of core components directly determines the service life of street lights. Therefore, reliable batteries, solar panels, controllers, etc. should be selected. At the same time, it is necessary to ensure that the component parameters match each other. For instance, the power of the solar panel should be compatible with the battery capacity to avoid the situation of "a small horse pulling a big cart" or "a large horse pulling a small cart". The controller should give priority to models with triple protection functions of overcharge, overdischarge and short circuit to enhance the safety of system operation.

Battery Maintenance and Replacement

Regularly check the battery voltage and capacity. When severe capacity attenuation or damage is found, replace it in time. Avoid deep discharge of the battery. During long-term rainy and cloudy weather, the duration of lighting can be appropriately reduced.

Environmental Adaptability Optimization

In areas prone to lightning, install lightning protection devices for solar street lights. In high-temperature areas, choose lights and batteries with excellent heat dissipation performance. In dusty and coastal areas, increase the frequency of component cleaning and anti-corrosion maintenance.

How to Reduce the Risk of Malfunction by Purchasing Solar Street Lights?

High-quality product selection is the key to reducing the risk of solar street light failure from the source. When purchasing, the following points should be given special attention:

Evaluate the Quality of Core Components

When choosing solar panels, priority should be given to those with high conversion efficiency and strong impact resistance, which can better adapt to complex outdoor environments. In terms of batteries, lithium batteries are a better choice due to their longer service life and lower maintenance costs. For LED light sources, special attention should be paid to the degree of light attenuation and color rendering. At the same time, it is necessary to confirm that the matching driving components have stable current output and overheat protection functions to avoid light source failure caused by driving problems.

Pay Attention to the Controller Protection Function

Whether the protection function of the controller is complete directly affects the safety of the battery and the entire system. When purchasing, make sure the controller has the four basic protection functions of overcharge, overdischarge, short circuit and reverse connection. High-quality controllers can also intelligently adjust the lighting duration based on real-time light intensity and remaining battery power, ensuring lighting needs while maximizing energy utilization.

Attach Importance to Installation and After-sales Service

Choose a supplier that provides professional installation guidance to avoid malfunctions caused by non-standard installation. Confirm that the supplier has a complete after-sales service system and provides clear warranty commitments (such as a 3-5 year warranty for core components) to facilitate timely repair and replacement in case of faults.

Select Based on the Usage Scenario

Select suitable products based on local latitude, light conditions and climate characteristics. For instance, in areas with insufficient sunlight, solar panels with higher power should be chosen, while in low-temperature regions, batteries that can withstand low temperatures should be selected.

The core influencing factors of solar street light failure can be summarized into three major categories: component performance degradation, external environment and weather influence, human factors and design defects. These factors are interrelated. Any problem in any link may lead to system failure.
 

In fact, through scientific product selection, standardized installation and construction, as well as regular maintenance and upkeep, the system reliability of solar street lights can be significantly enhanced and the failure rate can be reduced. If your solar street light is experiencing problems such as brightness attenuation or failure to light up, you might as well check each one according to the troubleshooting suggestions in this article. If you need to purchase new solar street lights, you can contact NOKIN at any time to learn more about the maintenance tips or selection plans for solar street light components. Welcome to leave a message for consultation!