Why All-in-one Integrated Solar Street Lights May Not Work?

As a clean and renewable energy source, solar energy is widely used in various fields. Solar street lights have become a popular choice for urban and rural road lighting as well as lighting in parks and scenic spots because of their significant advantages such as no need to lay complicated cables, energy saving and environmental protection, and easy installation. Among them, one-piece solar street light is highly integrated design, which further simplifies the installation process and reduces the construction cost, and is highly favored by the market. However, in the actual use of the process, many users feedback one-piece solar street light will not work properly, what is the cause of this?

The Structure and Composition of Solar Street Lights

All in one solar street light mainly consists of several core components, each component works together to realize the lighting function of the street light.

Solar Panel

As the key device to convert light energy into electricity, solar panel plays an indispensable role. Monocrystalline silicon solar panels stand out for their high photoelectric conversion efficiency, which is usually around 15% and can reach up to 24%, a leading figure among all types of solar panels. At the same time, monocrystalline silicon solar panels also have a long service life, generally up to 15 years or more, and are able to provide long-term and stable power support for street lighting systems. In contrast, polycrystalline solar panels, although slightly less efficient in terms of photovoltaic conversion, have a significant cost advantage and a service life of more than 10 years, making them suitable for more cost-sensitive projects.

Battery

Battery is an important part of the street light system to store electricity. At present, the batteries commonly used in the market for solar street lights are mainly lead-acid batteries and lithium batteries. Lead-acid batteries have mature technology and relatively low price, but there are problems such as large weight, relatively complicated maintenance and risk of environmental pollution. Lithium batteries have the advantages of high energy density, small size, light weight, low self-discharge rate, long cycle life, green and environmental protection, etc., but their cost is relatively high. In the practical application of one-piece solar street light, it is necessary to reasonably select the appropriate battery type according to the specific needs of the project, budget and use of the environment and other factors.

Solar Controller

Solar controller is the core equipment used to control the photovoltaic system, which is like the “intelligent housekeeper” of the street light system. On the one hand, it can accurately control the lighting time and brightness of the street light, according to different time periods and environmental light conditions, automatically adjust the working status of the street light, to achieve energy saving effect; on the other hand, it also bears an important responsibility to protect the battery, by reasonably controlling the charging and discharging process of the battery, to effectively prolong the service life of the battery .

LED Light Source

LED light source is the direct executor of solar street light to realize the lighting function, LED light source has many advantages such as high luminous efficiency, low energy consumption, long life, good color rendering, fast start-up, etc. Compared with the traditional lighting source, it can greatly reduce the energy consumption of the one-piece solar street light, and at the same time, provide a better quality of lighting effect.

Radar / PIR Sensor

Radar / PIR sensor can keenly sense the activities of human body or objects, when detecting people or vehicles passing by, the street light automatically switches to full brightness mode to provide sufficient lighting; when no one passes by, it automatically reduces the brightness and enters into energy-saving mode, so as to ensure that the lighting demand under the premise of maximizing the saving of power.

Working Principle of Integrated Solar Street Light

During the daytime, under the irradiation of sunlight, the solar panel converts the light energy it receives into electric energy. This electrical energy is regulated by the discharge controller and stored in the battery at the appropriate current and voltage. As night falls, the light of the surrounding environment gradually diminishes, when the light intensity drops to a certain threshold, the charge and discharge controller detects this change and then starts to work, controlling the battery to discharge to the lamps and lanterns, and the street lamps begin to light up to provide illumination for the roads and other places. In general, when the battery continues to discharge 10 hours, in order to protect the battery, to avoid excessive discharge on the battery irreversible damage, charge and discharge controller will automatically cut off the battery and the circuit connection between the lamps and lanterns, street lamps go out.

In the whole working process, the charge/discharge controller always plays a key role, it not only accurately controls the street light's lighting hours and working status, but also through the strict management of the battery charging and discharging process, to ensure that the battery's safe and stable operation, and effectively prolong the service life of the battery.

Why All-in-one Integrated Solar Street Lights May Not Work?

Battery-Related Problems

When the battery fails, the most direct and effective test method is to dismantle the battery from the one-piece solar street light and replace it with a new one for testing. If the street light can light up normally after replacing the new battery, it indicates that the original battery has problems and needs to be replaced; if the street light still does not light up after replacing the new battery, it is necessary to further investigate whether other parts are faulty . When replacing the battery, be sure to connect the cables of the new battery in accordance with the original wiring to ensure that the circuit is smooth.

In addition, insufficient battery capacity is also a problem that should not be ignored. For the newly installed integrated solar street light, if the lighting time is short, can not work properly in rainy days, etc., it is likely to be because the battery capacity provided by the manufacturer has a false labeling phenomenon, the actual capacity can not meet the continuous rainy days and other special circumstances of the lighting needs. As for the street light that has been used for several years, the battery will gradually age with the passage of time, and its performance and capacity will continue to decline, and when the battery degrades to a certain extent and reaches the end of its service life, similar problems will also occur.

Controller Failure

The controller plays a crucial control and protection role in the integrated solar street light system, but it is also relatively easy to be affected by external factors and failures. Among them, water ingress is one of the common causes of controller failure. Once the controller into the water, the internal electronic components are easy to short-circuit, which leads to the failure of the entire controller, can not normally control the work of the street light . When checking the controller failure, you first need to check whether the load indicator light on the controller is on. If the load indicator does not light up, and the use of professional equipment testing found that the controller does not have voltage output, then you can basically judge the controller failure, need to be replaced in a timely manner.

In addition, the controller may also have other faults, such as program disorder, component damage. These failures will also affect the normal control of the controller on the street lamp system, resulting in street lamps can not work in accordance with the predetermined mode, such as can not light up on time, off, or brightness adjustment abnormalities and other issues.

Solar Panel Failure

As the source of energy for street light system, the normal operation of solar panel is the basis of continuous lighting. However, in actual use, solar panels may fail for a variety of reasons, resulting in the inability to charge properly. Among them, poorly welded panel connectors are a common problem. If the connector is not welded securely, it will result in poor circuit contact and the current will not be transmitted properly, thus preventing the solar panel from delivering the generated electricity to the battery. In addition, if there is no current passing through the aluminum foil portion of the solar panel, it also indicates that the solar panel is faulty and needs to be replaced.

In addition to hardware failure, dust accumulation is also an important factor that affects the charging efficiency of solar panels. If a large amount of dust, leaves, bird droppings and other debris accumulates on the surface of the solar panel for a long time, it will block the sunlight irradiation and reduce the photoelectric conversion efficiency of the solar panel, resulting in insufficient charging, which in turn affects the normal work of the street light. This is especially common in dusty environments such as mining areas, near construction sites, or in areas with high wind and sand.

Line and Light Source Problems

Wrong wiring connection and damaged light source are also common reasons why the integrated solar street light cannot work properly. During the installation and maintenance of the street light, if the line is not connected correctly, such as the positive and negative poles are reversed, the line is short-circuited or disconnected, etc., it will lead to the current can not be circulated normally, and the street light can not be lit up.

For the LED light source, it itself has a long service life, but in actual use, damage may still occur. For example, when part of the LED light source does not light up, it may be due to the poor quality and defects of the LED beads themselves, or the inconsistency of the specifications of different beads, resulting in some of the beads failing to work properly under the same voltage and current conditions. In addition, in the assembly process of the lamps and lanterns, if the welding process is not satisfactory, it will also cause some of the lamp beads have poor contact, flickering or not bright phenomenon .

Flickering light source, in addition to possible wiring problems resulting in unstable current, low battery power is also an important reason. When the battery power is too low, it can not provide stable voltage and current for the light source, which leads to flickering light source.

Troubleshooting Methods for Solar Street Lights

Battery Failure Solution

When it is determined that the battery is damaged and needs to be replaced, the correct operation procedure should be strictly followed. First, turn off the power of the street light system to ensure safe operation. Then, carefully disassemble the old battery, pay attention to record the battery connection and line direction. Connect the cables of the new battery to the street light system accurately according to the original wiring, make sure the positive and negative poles are connected correctly. After the connection is completed, turn on the power and observe whether the street light can light up normally.

For the problem of insufficient battery capacity, if the street light is newly installed, the user should communicate with the manufacturer in time, provide detailed test data and description of the problem, and ask the manufacturer to replace the battery that meets the agreed capacity of the contract to meet the lighting demand. For streetlights that have been in use for many years and have aging batteries, high-quality batteries that match the original battery specifications should be selected for replacement. After replacing the batteries, it is also necessary to observe and test the street light system for a period of time to ensure that the new batteries can work properly and the lighting duration and effect of the street lights meet the requirements.

Controller Failure Handling

When the controller is suspected of malfunctioning, the first thing to do is to carefully check the wiring of the controller. Check the logo on the controller and compare with the manual to confirm whether each line is connected correctly. At the same time, check the controller terminals for water stains, rust or corrosion. If abnormalities are found in the controller terminals, it is likely that the controller has been damaged and needs to be replaced.

If the controller looks normal, use professional testing equipment, such as a multimeter, to measure the battery voltage. For 12V systems, if the battery voltage is below 10.7V, the battery is too low and there may be a problem. However, if the battery voltage is normal and there is still no voltage output from the controller, it can be determined that the controller is faulty. In this case, try swapping the controller with another functioning streetlight controller for testing. If after the exchange, the original faulty street light returns to normal operation, while the other street light fails, it can be clear that it is the controller's problem, and you need to replace the new controller in time .

Solar Panel Failure Repair

For the case of poor or damaged solar panel connection, it needs to be handled by professionals. If it is a panel connector welding problem, the connector should be re-welded to ensure a solid connection and smooth circuit. If the test reveals that the solar panel is damaged and cannot generate electricity normally, it needs to be replaced with a new solar panel in time. When replacing the solar panel, choose a product that matches the specifications and parameters of the original solar panel to ensure the normal operation of the system.

When the solar panel affects charging due to dust accumulation, you can use the correct method to clean and dry the solar panel, and then reconnect it to the integrated solar street light system after it is completely dry.

Line and Light Source Repair

For wiring problems, first of all, we should fully check the connection of the whole wiring. Check whether each connection point is firm and whether the line is broken, short-circuited or disconnected. If the line is found to be connected incorrectly, it should be reconnected according to the correct wiring. For the broken line, it should be replaced in time to ensure the integrity and safety of the line.

When testing the LED light source, the light source can be removed from the street light system and connected to other normal power supply for testing. If the light source can light up normally, it means that there is no problem with the light source itself, and the fault may occur in other parts; if the light source does not light up, it indicates that the light source is damaged and needs to be replaced with a new LED light source. When replacing the LED light source, choose the product with the same specifications and parameters as the original light source to ensure the lighting effect and system compatibility.

Tips to Prevent Future Solar Street Light Issues

Regular Cleaning of Solar Panels

Regular cleaning of solar panels is an important measure to ensure their normal operation. It is generally recommended to clean the solar panel every 6 - 12 months. If the installation environment is dusty and sandy, or there are factories, construction sites and other places nearby that are prone to dust and debris, you need to increase the frequency of cleaning appropriately, once every 3 - 6 months.

Battery Maintenance

Battery maintenance is essential to extend the service life of the integrated solar street light. It is recommended to conduct a comprehensive inspection of the battery every 6 months. The inspection includes battery power, appearance and performance. Use professional battery testing equipment to measure the battery voltage, capacity and other parameters to ensure that the battery has sufficient power and normal performance. At the same time, carefully observe the appearance of the battery to see whether there are cracks, leakage, bulging or corrosion and other phenomena. If the battery is found to have the above problems, it should be replaced in time to avoid battery failure affecting the normal operation of the street light .

In daily use, keep the battery clean and dry, avoid the accumulation of dust, moisture or other debris on the battery surface. If the battery surface is dirty, it should be gently wiped with a clean soft cloth. When the street light is not in use for a long time, the battery should be removed from the system and stored in a cool, dry environment, and the battery should be charged regularly to prevent the battery from being over-discharged, which will affect its service life .

Controller Inspection

Regular inspection of the controller can detect potential faults in time and ensure the normal operation of the controller. It is recommended to inspect the controller once every 6 months. When checking, first see whether the controller's appearance is damaged, such as whether the shell has cracks, deformation, whether the internal components are loose, off and so on; then, check whether the controller line connection is firm, whether the terminals have oxidation, corrosion or poor contact phenomenon. Use professional testing equipment to test the functions of the controller, such as charge/discharge control function, lighting time adjustment function, etc., to ensure that the controller can work normally. If the controller is found to be faulty or damaged, it should be replaced with a new controller in time to ensure the stable operation of the street light system.

Prevent Light Blocking

Preventing light from blocking is an important part of ensuring the normal operation of street lights. Regularly check the environment around the solar panel to see if there are trees, buildings, billboards and other objects blocking the sunlight. If you find any shading objects, they should be dealt with in time. For the blocking tree branches, appropriate pruning can be carried out to ensure that the tree branches and solar panels to maintain a certain distance to avoid affecting the light.

Conclusion

The inability of the integrated solar street light to work properly is caused by a combination of factors. From batteries, controllers, solar panels, to wiring and light sources, problems with any of the components may affect the normal operation of the street light. Through in-depth understanding of the causes of these failures and mastering the corresponding solutions and preventive measures, users can more effectively maintain and manage the integrated solar street light, solve the problems in a timely manner, extend the service life of the street light, and ensure that it is stable and reliable to provide services for road lighting . At the same time, regular maintenance and inspection can not only reduce the failure rate of street lamps, reduce maintenance costs, but also give full play to the advantages of energy saving and environmental protection of solar street lamps, and make positive contributions to the development of green lighting.