How to Choose the Right Way to Purchase Solar Street Lights

With the widespread adoption of green energy and the upgrading of outdoor lighting demands, solar street lights, due to their advantages of energy conservation, environmental friendliness, zero wiring, and low operating costs, have been widely used in various scenarios such as rural roads, urban streets, parking lots, and scenic areas. However, most purchasers often encounter the dilemma of "confusion in selection, inability to understand parameters, and difficulty in identifying suppliers" during actual procurement - either blindly pursuing low prices, resulting in short product lifespan and non-compliance with performance standards, or excessive investment but failing to match actual needs, leading to cost waste.

 

This article will serve as your "procurement guide", covering the entire process of solar street light procurement, from pre-procurement preparations, core technology selection, to procurement decision checks, avoiding pitfalls, and mitigating misunderstandings, as well as supplier evaluation and standardized procedures, helping you avoid traps, make precise selections, and achieve the goal of "maximizing cost-effectiveness" in procurement.

Preparations before Procuring Solar Street Lights

Clarify Project Requirements and Budget

According to the project scale and scenario, requirements can be divided into the following three categories, corresponding to different procurement priorities:

 

Project Scenario	Core Requirements for Solar Street Lights
Rural Roads	Moderate lighting brightness, stable power supply, strong cost-effectiveness, simple structure, no need for complex smart control functions
Urban Roads / Municipal Streets	High brightness and wide lighting coverage, reliable power supply during rainy or cloudy days, intelligent control systems, high protection level
Parking Lots / Scenic Areas / Parks	Balance of aesthetics and functionality, customizable design, support for smart features such as timing and motion sensors, adaptability to complex and diverse environments

 

Budget setting should follow the "reasonable range" principle: too low a budget is likely to result in purchasing low-efficiency photovoltaic panels and low-life battery products, with higher replacement and maintenance costs later; too high a budget may overly pursue "high-end parameters", ignoring actual needs, causing unnecessary waste.

Understand Local Climate and Environmental Conditions

The core performance of solar street lights (power supply duration, lifespan) is directly related to local climate and environment: the efficiency of photovoltaic panels' power generation depends on sunlight, and the stability of batteries depends on temperature and humidity. Ignoring environmental factors will prevent even the best products from performing at their best.

 

Environmental Factor	Typical Conditions	Recommended Selection Strategy
Sunshine Duration	Annual sunshine below 1200 hours (rainy or foggy regions)	Use larger-area, high-efficiency photovoltaic panels and higher-capacity batteries
Sunshine Duration	Annual sunshine above 1800 hours (sun-rich regions)	Reduce solar panel wattage and battery capacity appropriately
Temperature Range	Extreme cold regions (below −20°C)	Select low-temperature-resistant lithium iron phosphate (LiFePO4) batteries
Temperature Range	High-temperature regions (above 40°C in summer)	Choose batteries with strong heat resistance and optimized heat dissipation design
Humidity / Corrosive Environment	Coastal, rainy, dusty, or high-humidity areas	Use IP65 or higher-rated enclosures with anti-corrosion coatings and sealed structures

What Should Be Consider in Solar Street Light Procurement Decisions?

After selecting the model, three key checks need to be done before making the procurement decision to avoid disputes later due to "incompatible parameters, non-compliant quality", and ensure that the purchased products meet expectations.

Verify Technical Parameters and Compatibility

Solar street lights are a complete system. The parameters of the photovoltaic panel, battery, LED lamp, and controller must match; otherwise, problems such as "insufficient power generation, insufficient battery life, and component damage" may occur.

• The power of the photovoltaic panel matches the capacity of the battery:

If the panel power is too high, it will cause overcharging of the battery, damaging the battery; if the power is too low, it cannot meet the battery charging requirements, resulting in insufficient battery life.

• The parameters of the controller match the panel and battery:

The charging voltage and discharge current of the controller must be consistent with the output voltage of the photovoltaic panel and the rated voltage of the battery; otherwise, normal charging and discharging will not occur, and even the components may be burned out.

• The power of the LED lamp matches the battery capacity:

The larger the lamp power, the greater the power consumption, and a larger-capacity battery needs to be matched to ensure the battery life meets the standard.

Suggestion: Ask the supplier to provide a complete system parameter comparison table and verify one by one to avoid "assembling low-configured components".

Product Quality Certification and Technical Indicators

Quality certification is an important document that proves a product complies with international and industry standards. Especially for export procurement or large-scale municipal projects, it is necessary to check the relevant certifications of the product to avoid purchasing "unqualified products".

 

Certification Name	Issuing Institution	Primary Focus	Core Requirements	Applicable Markets / Importance
IEC 61215	International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC)	PV module performance & reliability	18 key tests to verify stability and durability over a 25-year lifespan	Global standard; widely recognized
UL 1703	Underwriters Laboratories (UL)	Electrical safety & fire protection	Evaluates electrical safety, insulation, fire resistance; annual tracking inspections	Required for North America
CE Certification	EU Designated Certification Body	Product safety & compliance	Must meet EN 61730; requires technical files and risk assessment; DPP required from 2024	Mandatory for EU market
RoHS Certification	EU Regulatory Authorities	Hazardous substance control	Limits lead, mercury, cadmium, etc.; ensures environmental compliance	Essential for EU & eco-sensitive projects
TÜV Certification	TÜV (Germany)	Quality & safety	Strict testing for product quality, safety, and reliability	Highly trusted in Europe

 

Verification of Actual Performance of Lamps

Meeting the parameters does not mean meeting the actual performance, especially battery life. It is necessary to verify the performance of the lamps under extreme conditions based on the local environment to avoid "paper parameters look good, but actual use is poor".

• Continuous rainy-day endurance:

The supplier is required to provide a third-party test report to verify whether the lamps can maintain normal lighting (with no significant brightness decline or failure to turn off) during common continuous rainy days in the local area (such as 3-7 days). High-quality products can achieve stable lighting for 8 hours each night for 7 consecutive days in rainy conditions.

• Actual brightness and luminous efficiency:

Avoid only focusing on the "number of light bulbs". Pay more attention to the actual luminous efficiency of the lamps. The supplier is required to provide a luminous efficiency test report to ensure uniform brightness and no glare, meeting the requirements of scene lighting.

Suggestion: For large projects, it is recommended that the supplier provide samples for on-site testing to verify the actual performance before batch purchasing.

Common Purchase Misconceptions and Avoidance Methods

Many purchasers fail in their purchases not because they lack knowledge about the products, but because they fall into some common purchasing pitfalls. By mastering these misconceptions and their avoidance methods, you can effectively reduce the risks of procurement.

Only Considering Price without Considering Quality

This is the most common misconception - many purchasers prioritize low-priced products, believing that "it just needs to shine", but overlook the maintenance costs later.

Hindrances of low-priced products:

They often use low-efficiency polycrystalline silicon panels, ordinary lead-acid batteries, and low-protective-grade enclosures. The lifespan is only 3-5 years, and batteries and components need to be replaced annually, resulting in high maintenance costs; and the brightness is insufficient, the battery life is unstable, which may affect the user experience.

Avoidance method:

Establish a "priority on cost-effectiveness" procurement concept. Within the budget, choose products with guaranteed quality and complete certifications rather than simply pursuing low prices. High-quality solar street lamps have extremely low maintenance costs and are more cost-effective in the long run.

Misunderstanding of Power and Luminous Efficiency

Many purchasers judge the brightness of street lights by only looking at "the number of light bulbs" or "the power of the lamp", believing that "the more light bulbs, the greater the power, the brighter the light", which is not scientific.

Core misconception analysis:

The core determining factor of brightness is "luminous efficiency", not the number of light bulbs or power. For example, the brightness of 100 poor-quality light bulbs may be less than 50 high-quality light bulbs; similarly, a 30W lamp, a high-quality product may have a luminous efficiency of 150lm/W, while a poor-quality product may only be 100lm/W, with a significant difference in brightness.

Avoidance method:

During procurement, focus on asking about "luminous efficiency", require the supplier to provide a luminous efficiency test report, and use actual brightness as the judgment standard, rather than the number of light bulbs or power.

Ignoring Installation and Debugging Guidance

Many purchasers believe that "after purchasing the product, just find a worker to install it", but they ignore the strict requirements for the installation of solar street lights, and improper installation can directly affect performance and lifespan.

• Inappropriate installation angle of photovoltaic panels:

An excessively large angle deviation will lead to a decrease in power generation efficiency (for areas with abundant sunlight, the optimal installation angle is the local latitude ±5°).

• Unstable base fixation of the light pole:

Outdoor wind force is strong, and the lamp post is prone to tilt or collapse, damaging components.

• Incorrect wiring:

Leading to component short circuits, damage, and inability to work properly.

Avoidance method: During procurement, require the supplier to provide a professional installation manual, video, or arrange professional personnel to guide installation and debugging; after installation, conduct power-on tests to ensure all components are working properly.

How to Choose a Suitable Solar Street Light Supplier?

High-quality products cannot do without reliable suppliers, especially for large-scale procurement projects. The qualifications, experience, and after-sales service of the supplier directly determine the success of the procurement and the post-operation maintenance experience. Evaluate according to the following 4 dimensions to quickly screen out suitable suppliers.

Evaluate Supplier Qualifications and Experience

Prioritize choosing "qualified and experienced" manufacturers or suppliers, avoid choosing "middlemen, small workshops", to reduce procurement risks.

• Complete qualifications:

The supplier must have production qualifications and product certifications to ensure compliant production and quality compliance.

• Industry experience:

Prefer suppliers with 5 years of experience or more in the same field, and require the supplier to provide case contracts, on-site photos to verify experience.

• Production capacity:

For large-scale procurement projects, confirm the supplier's production capacity to avoid delays in delivery due to insufficient capacity, affecting project progress.

Compare Quotations and Obtain Detailed Quotation Sheets

Comparing quotations is a necessary step in procurement, but be aware that "comparing prices is not comparing low prices", but comparing "cost-effectiveness", and also obtain detailed quotation sheets to avoid hidden charges later.

• Multi-vendor price comparison:

Request quotations from 3 to 5 qualified suppliers, compare product parameters, quality, and after-sales service, and choose the supplier with "matching parameters and reasonable price", avoiding price deviations caused by a single quotation.

• Detailed quotation sheet:

Require the quotation sheet to clearly list "component parameters, quantity, unit price, total price, delivery date, installation cost, taxes, after-sales service cost", to avoid disputes such as "adding costs for upgrades, hidden charges" in the later stage.

Review Customer Reviews and After-sales Service Policies

After-sales service is the core guarantee in the later stage of procurement, and good after-sales service can effectively reduce the later operation and maintenance costs.

• Customer reviews:

Through industry platforms, social media, and previous customers, understand the reputation of the supplier, and focus on "product quality feedback, after-sales service response speed", to avoid choosing suppliers with poor reputation and many complaints.

• After-sales service policies:

Clearly define the warranty period; after-sales response time; spare parts support.

Check the Available Customization and Technical Support Capabilities

Different projects have different requirements, and many projects require customized services, as well as long-term technical support. Avoid problems that cannot be solved later.

• Customization capability:

Ask the supplier if they can customize the power of the photovoltaic panel, battery capacity, pole height, appearance color, etc. according to the project requirements, to ensure the product is suitable for the project scenario.

• Technical support capability:

The supplier should provide long-term technical support, including installation guidance, debugging plans, fault troubleshooting, and later parameter optimization; for large projects, it is recommended to require the supplier to provide dedicated personnel to be responsible for later technical support.

Suggested Solar Street Lights Procurement Process

Following the standardized solar street lamp procurement process can effectively avoid procurement chaos and ensure that the purchased products meet the project requirements, have qualified quality and the best cost-performance ratio. The following 8 core steps are recommended to be implemented one by one, without any omission, to efficiently complete the procurement of solar street lamps.

Clarify requirements and budget

Based on the actual project scenario, clearly define the lighting standards and the demands for intelligent functions (such as remote control, sensing, etc.), determine a reasonable budget range, and organize it into a clear list of requirements, which will lay the foundation for the subsequent procurement work.

Determine technical indicators and acceptance criteria

Based on the requirements list, clearly define the key technical parameters of core components such as photovoltaic panels, energy storage batteries, lamps, and controllers. At the same time, formulate feasible acceptance standards to prevent disputes during the later acceptance process from the very beginning.

Prepare the purchase list

Integrate the key requirements, technical indicators, purchase quantities, delivery cycles and after-sales service requirements, and form a standardized procurement list. Clearly define the core demands of the procurement to avoid subsequent communication deviations.

Request the plans and quotations from the suppliers

Select 3 to 5 qualified solar street light suppliers, send out the purchase list, and require them to provide detailed solutions and formal quotations to ensure that the solutions meet the project requirements.

Comparative evaluation of quotations and after-sales services

We will carefully compare the quotations, product parameters, project cases and after-sales service policies of each supplier, focusing on the core of cost-effectiveness. Then, we will select 2-3 high-quality suppliers to proceed to the next stage.

Sign the contract and inspect the samples

Discuss the contract details with the preferred suppliers, clarify all the terms, and then sign the formal contract; for large-scale projects, it is recommended that the suppliers provide samples. After passing the on-site testing and being confirmed as qualified, the batch procurement can be initiated.

Arrange for installation and acceptance inspection

After the supplier delivers the goods, professional personnel (or guided by the supplier) will be arranged to complete the installation and commissioning as per the contract agreement. After the installation is completed, each item will be checked against the preset acceptance standards to ensure that the product meets the project requirements.

Monitoring after-sales feedback and maintenance

After the acceptance is qualified, continuously monitor the usage of the solar street lamps, promptly report any malfunction issues and require the supplier to handle them in accordance with the after-sales policy; retain the supplier's contact information and technical materials to facilitate the later routine maintenance.

 

The procurement of solar street lights may seem simple, but it actually involves multiple steps such as "demand analysis, technical selection, and supplier identification". Any mistake in any of these steps could lead to the failure of the procurement and result in cost waste.

If you are planning to undertake a solar street light procurement project, referring to the systematic process in this article can effectively avoid procurement traps and reduce procurement risks. If you need more industry cases or have specific questions about selection or supplier evaluation, you can contact the professional solar street light supplier NOKIN at any time. We will provide you with one-on-one professional guidance to help you complete the procurement successfully.