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First UK solar powered grid-tied lighting project switched-on |
22 October 2002 |
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Solar powered street lighting go on trial in Stornoway, Western Isles Solar powered street lighting may become a common sight around the Western Isles if a pilot scheme for the first ever grid-tied lighting system in the UK proves to be a success. Comhairle nan Eilean Siar (Western Isles Council) is piloting two solar powered street lamps to see if they can benefit from the sustainable technology provided by South Wales-based solar power experts, SolarGen Solutions. One of the solar powered street lamps will be a stand alone light where rays from the sun will generate the power that the light requires, and will be located in the Lochs area of Lewis. The second street lamp will be located in Stornoway town centre and will be a pilot grid-tied system in addition to the existing lighting units which are currently connected to the grid supply system. With sustainable development and energy saving
high on the local and global agenda, Lochs Councillor
Donald M Mackay, Comhairle nan Eilean Siar’s
renewable energy spokesman, said that the future
for the Western Isles was very much in energy saving
and renewable energy. “Not only are they environmentally friendly but they are also a cost-effective solution to the growing cost of public lighting.” SolarGen Solutions, based in Newport, South Wales, has also designed and manufactured solar powered bus stop lighting, footpath lighting, road signage lighting and school traffic systems for local authorities across the UK. Ken Bird, Managing Director of SolarGen Solutions, said, “This is the very first grid-tied system in the UK and is unique to SolarGen Solutions. The UK could receive as much as two thirds of its total energy requirement from solar power and our unique solar solutions can be applied to just about every public lighting requirement. “These lighting lamps can be stand alone or grid tied, feeding the spare power back into the National Grid. The Grid Tied solutions act as mini generating stations and reduce the money spent on electricity bills greatly, whilst our stand alone units cater for communities where the cost of caballing has to date prohibited councils to provide lighting.” The units have also proved to be very durable, require very little maintenance and therefore are a very cost-effective, and in many cases cost negative solution. “We are already providing a number of local authorities across the UK with solar powered lighting and traffic warning systems with many more are currently on trial,” Ken added. Another environmental feature of the solar powered streetlight is that each unit represents an annual saving of 1.5 tonnes of harmful CO2 going into the atmosphere. For further information, please contact Eryl W. Jones, Equinox Public Relations on 029 2049 4942
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