FAQ

• Q Are off-grid solar streetlights suitable for extreme climates?

  The poles we use for our solar streetlights are designed to withstand the most extreme climatic conditions, including the highest wind loads, in compliance with the European EN40 standard. Our Power365 battery technology can put up with temperatures from –40°C to +70°C. Plus, our French-manufactured solar PV panels are specially developed for all types of conditions, including strong winds, heavy snow and sandstorms. These design features make our off-grid streetlights the ideal public lighting solution for all types of projects and environments.

  
  

  Case example of freezing conditions:
  
  
  

  We've installed solar street lights for businesses which are located high up in the Swiss Alps.

  
  

  Case example of super-hot conditions:
  
  

  

  We'll soon be installing hundreds of our smart off-grid street lights along a 20-kilometre stretch of road in one of the hottest parts of the globe, where temperatures average 47°C and reach 65°C to 68°C in the summer!
• Q How much does an off-grid solar streetlight cost?
  A solar streetlight costs about 10 to 20% more than a conventional streetlight. That’s because, unlike their grid-connected counterparts, our solar street lights incorporate a host of smart technologies, including a smart energy management system, which is fully programmable for powerful off-grid illumination.

  Over time, solar solutions are proven to be much more cost-efficient than grid-connected lighting. Installation of a PV streetlight doesn’t require any major work, such as groundwork, trenches, cable laying or electrical cabinets. Our solutions don’t need any maintenance for the first 10 years. What’s more, by choosing streetlights running on green energy, there’s no more electricity bills. Together, these savings make solar street lights much more competitive than the conventional ones, grid-tied counterparts. Today, the return on investment is quite immediate on some projects and others.

  
  

• Q What's the design life of a solar streetlight? And if there's a fault, is it backed by a warranty?
  The components of our off-grid solar streetlights are all designed with the consideration of durability and performance in mind. Our products are fully covered by a five-year warranty. And the first service isn’t needed until 10 years after installation.

  - our PV module guarantees optimal power delivery for 25 years.

  - our LED light unit has a service lifespan of 20 years.

  - the Power365 battery has a lifespan of 10 years, or 4.000 charge-discharge cycles.

  In all cases, the Fonroche team is always on hand and guarantees fast after-sales service and support everywhere in the world.
• Q Can I control my solar streetlights remotely?

  Fonroche Connect is a smart and brand new tool for monitoring and managing solar street lights remotely. Fonroche Lighting teams have designed this connectivity tool to meet the requirements of customers wishing to monitor and control their solar streetlights in real time. It’s a web-based app specially designed for Fonroche solar solutions and using the LoRa low-data-rate network protocol.

  
  

  Key features of this tool:

  
  

  - remote monitoring and diagnostics of physical data from each streetlight

  - long-range connectivity (15 km and further)

  - real-time monitoring and control of one or more streetlights simultaneously
  
  

  
  

• Q Can Fonroche streetlights be recycled?
  Unlike lead acid and lithium batteries, NiMH batteries don’t contain any heavy or toxic metals. They’re 98% recyclable: the nickel is extracted and used to make various materials, mostly stainless steel. The solar panels have an extremely long service lifespan. Even after 25 years, they’ll still be producing at least 80% of their initial peak power. So they can continue to be used. Alternatively, about 96% of their component materials can be recycled to make new panels.

  Fonroche is a fully signed-up member of Récylum in France, which recycles electronic components, LED light units and batteries. The PV modules are recovered by the PV Cycle scheme at the end of their lives, so they can also be recycled.

  Learn more about our environmental commitments
• Q Does my solar streetlight need to be fitted with a motion detector?
  Fonroche off-grid streetlights aren’t fitted with motion detectors. Constantly switching on and off the LED light unit significantly reduces the battery’s service lifespan and makes it hard to predict energy consumption accurately. What's more, the detection range of motion detectors is limited (typically between 3 and 12 metres, whereas the distance between streetlights along a road is about 25 metres. So regular sections of road or pavement would still be in the dark!).

  The brilliance of Fonroche solutions lies in our ability to anticipate actual lighting requirements, which are specified by our design teams as part of the photometric and solar surveys they conduct for each project. This right-sizing ensures guaranteed stability of the system and an optimal level of lighting power. For these reasons, motion detectors, with their inherent lack of stability (switching on and off randomly, causing light pollution, etc.) really aren’t compatible with Fonroche solar lighting technology.

  At Fonroche, delivering powerful, dependable lighting 365 nights a year is our top priority as we constantly seek to meet market requirements. That is why we can be an industry leader today!

  
  

• Q What advantages do solar street lights offer?

  1. Solar street lights do not need to be connected to grid system. Hence, no electrical bills to be paid.
  2. Solar street light is a stand alone system, which can be installed any places where sunshine can cover.
  3. The traditional light uses AC voltage, which is at risk of getting an electrical shock if any misoperations. Instead, solar street lights use DC voltage which is safer.
  4. It is easy to install because all the orders have been set in advance. With effortless wiring, it can automatically work.
  5. It does not need to be buried underground, which is cost-effective and time-saving.
  6. Electricity produced from solar panels is green power and non-pollutive.

• Q What is the lifespan of solar street lights?

  The lifespan of solar street lights mainly depends on that of solar batteries. The battery lifespan not only depends on its quality, but also depth of discharge (DoD), which indicates the percentage of battery discharge divided by battery rated capacity. The lower the DoD is, the longer the lifespan is. INLUX SOLAR uses a low battery discharge-depth solution, combined with brand new high quality LiFePO4  (lithium iron phosphate) batteries. Our LiFePO4 (lithium iron phosphate) battery lifespan can reach more than 10 years, ternary lithium and colloidal battery life can reach more than 5 years.

• Q How long is the battery lifespan in a solar outdoor lighting system?

  Battery lifespan depends on its own mass, but also on the depth of discharge (DOD).
  INLUX SOLAR's solar outdoor lighting system adopts the brand new highest quality lithium batteries with a technical solution of low battery discharge-depths (less than 50% for lithium iron phosphate, less than 40% for ternary lithium and less than 30% for gel batteries).
  We can ensure the lifespan of lithium iron phosphate batteries can reach more than 10 years, and that of ternary lithium batteries and gel batteries can reach more than 5 years.

• Q Can solar street lamps be installed in shaded places?

  Solar panels must absorb enough sunlight so that it can be converted into electricity. If they are installed in shaded areas, they absorb less sunlight and the battery output is relatively low. It is necessary to avoid the places with shelters so that it can absorb the sufficient sunlight all day, which is important for the regular operation of solar street lights.

• Q What maintenance is required for solar street lights?

  Our solar street lights are designed to be essentially maintenance free after correct installation. In certain regions with extreme conditions, however, some level of maintenance is required to ensure the proper function of the lights. If the regions are with risks of solar panel being covered with dust, snow, and ice, the power of the lights will be reduced.
  
  Typical maintenance schedule:
  
  Every Week: Inspect street lights to ensure all lights can work normally. If there are lights which are not lit, please refer to troubleshooting to find the causes or contact us.
  
  Every 2 Month: Inspect and clean those covered by dust or sand. The best way to clean the panels is to brush with the end of a long pole or wet rag. Do not rinse from top.
  
  Every 5-10 Years:  Replace the solar street light batteries.

• Q Should the solar panels of solar street lights be cleaned frequently?

  Solar panels shall not be covered with heavy dust or sand, which will reduce the efficiency of the solar panels to absorb sunlight. But in general, the solar panels are required to be cleaned very often, because when it rains, it will wash away the dust and sand. If it does not rain for a long time, it needs to clean the solar panels of the solar street lights every 2-4 months according to the dust situation.

• Q Why the solar street light doesn't work?

  If it is a newly installed solar street light, the light working time at night is short. It is common because the battery is only about 60 percent charged before leaving the factory for the sake of transport safety. Generally 2-3 days after installation, the working time of solar street lights will return to normal.
  If the newly installed solar street lights are not on all night, please check whether the wiring is connected correctly.
  If the solar street light has been working normally but the lighting time is suddenly shortened in a few nights, it may be caused by insufficient sunshine and as a result, the power generation of the solar panel is not enough to support the street light to work all night. After the weather gets better, the lighting time of the solar street lamp will return to normal.
  If the solar street light does not work all night, the first is to check the indicator status of the solar controller and then contact the INLUXSOLAR sales engineer to further diagnose the specific problem according to the indicator status.

• Q Will the rainy day or cloudy/rainy day be a problem for the solar outdoor lights?

  It will not be a problem at all.
  INLUX SOLAR’s solar outdoor lights are all IP66-IP67 waterproof.  You don’t need to worry about it.
  Moreover, when designing solar outdoor light scheme, we will refer to the climate data of the installation site and design a certain amount of solar panel and battery allowance according to the possible continuous rainy days. So you can keep the solar lights on every night, even in rainy weather.

• Q What is the warranty service of your solar lighting products?

  We provide 3-5 years' warranty for all the components of the whole solar street lighting system and replace with new ones for free in case of quality problems.
  We provide technical guidance. INLUX SOLAR will respond to your questions in 24 working hours.

• Q Why Lumens is more important than lamp watts for the lamp brightness?

  In LED, brightness is measured in lumens. The higher the lumens are, the brighter the light is.
  Watts is just the power consumption per unit time. It's not directly related to the light brightness.
  As for the solar street light of Watts, different lumens will have different brightness.
  INLUX SOLAR has always adopted super bright LED Chips. The finished Lumen efficiency of our lamps can reach up to 195lm/w, while that of normal solar lights is 130 -140lm/w.

• Q What's the SUNSHINE PEAK TIME?

  When INLUX SOLAR's sales engineers were working on technical solutions to solar-powered street lighting for clients, they noticed that people were confused THE TIME OF DAY with SUNSHINE PEAK TIME.
  For example, in the UAE, the sunshine lasts more than 14 hours, but THE PEAK TIME OF SUNSHINE lasts only about 6 hours. SUNSHINE PEAK TIME is a unit of measurement of the intensity of sunlight on the earth at a given time that can be used for generation of solar power, recognizing factors such as climate and weather.
  The amount of SUNSHINE PEAK TIME is closely related to the amount of energy produced by solar panels.

• Q What is All-In-One Solar Light?

  Of all the solar street light models, All-In-One series is the most compact one, which simplifies installation remarkably by eliminating troubles of cable connection.

• Q What is All-In-Two Solar Light?

  All-in-two Solar Street Light is the latest model of high power solar street light, it integrates all components except solar panel inside the light fixture, which makes installation much easier.
  Meanwhile, the design allows the system to capture maximum solar radiation by adjusting direction of the separated solar panel while the LED Lamp in the direction of area can keep being illuminated.

• Q What batteries are commonly used for solar street lamps? Which battery is used more?

  1) LiFePO4 (Lithium iron phosphate ) Battery: small size, high temperature resistance, deep discharge, long lifespan, safe, pollution-free, expensive.
  2) Li-ion lithium battery: small size, low temperature resistance, high energy density, deep discharge, long lifespan, environmental-friendly, pollution-free, expensive.
  3) Gel battery: low price, suitable for low temperature high rate discharge; Sealing maintenance-free; But pay attention to prevent lead acid pollution, and if too heavy, it will be phased out.
  The most popular battery is lithium iron phosphate battery, which accounts for more than 60 percent of the current solar street lighting system market.

• Q Why are lithium batteries used more and more frequently in solar street lighting systems?

  1) lithium batteries are small in size, light in weight, and convenient in transportation compared to gel batteries.
  2) Lithium battery has higher energy storage, longer lifespan and stronger adaptability to the environment.
  3) Small size of lithium battery makes it convenient for integrated design and the whole system will be smaller, which greatly reduces the difficulty of transportation and installation.

• Q Why doesn't the solar street light turn off ?

  There are two main possibilities.
  First, the solar controller does not receive the input of the solar panel generally due to loose solar panel wiring or damaged solar panel.
  Second, the solar controller is damaged.
  When encountering this problem, please contact INLUX SOLAR sales engineer for further troubleshooting.

• Q Are solar lights safe for children or pets?

  As there is no electrical cable or components included in solar lights and also the voltage of the solar lighting system is DC. They are completely safe for all users such as humans, animals, plants, etc.

• Q How do solar LED streetlights differ from their grid-tied counterparts?
  Solar-powered streetlights are entirely self-contained, making them ideal for isolated locations, without all the costs of cabling and grid connection. Also called photovoltaic or PV streetlights, they’re quick and easy to install, without earthwork or trenches needed, so the range of possible applications is virtually limitless.

  The key difference between these two kinds of public lighting is their power source. Solar-powered street lights use renewable energy. And because solar energy is free and will never run out, photovoltaic streetlights are an ecologically friendly, cost-efficient and completely autonomous solution. They’re a perfect fit with the energy transition led by the French government. Solar lighting also offers better availability, since it’s not affected by power outages.

  To conclude, the key benefits of solar lighting are as follows:

  - no major works needed — no civil engineering, trenches, grid connection or electrical cabinets

  - no more electricity bills

  - 100% green energy

  - smaller carbon footprint

  - no maintenance for the first 10 years

  
  

• Q How does a solar streetlight work?
  The solar PV panels on top of the pole capture the sun’s rays, turn them into electrical energy and store it in our NiMH (nickel-metal hydride) battery system, with Power365 technology. Then as the sun begins to set, the built-in dusk sensor tells the streetlight to switch on.

  The level of lighting power is preadjusted as part of the project to meet the specific requirements of each customer. For example, it can be set to produce brighter lighting at nightfall and in the early morning, with a lower level of illumination in the middle hours of the night to limit light nuisance and pollution.

  Fonroche solar streetlights can provide guaranteed lighting 365 nights a year, whatever the weather is.
  
  

  
  

• Q Do solar streetlights keep working in bad weather, or if there's no sunshine?

  Fonroche solar streetlights are adapted for all types of environments. At the start of each project, our experts carry out a local study. Our off-grid streetlights are then 'right-sized' to match the solar potential of the geographic location. In other words, they're specially designed to work perfectly in even the most extreme configurations.

  
  

  Plus, our solar PV panels, with their large capture area, keep producing energy throughout the year, even when sunlight levels are low. And with our Power365 battery technology, Fonroche solar street lights provide guaranteed lighting 365 nights a year, regardless of prevailing weather conditions. The battery system, with its smart programming, constantly monitors the level of charge and supplies the necessary power accordingly, so it never runs out. Thanks to this anti-blackout system, there's always enough charge left to provide illumination in poor weather conditions, even for extended periods.
  
  

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