SOLAR LIGHTING VS TRADITIONAL STREETLIGHTS: WHICH IS MORE SUSTAINABLE?

As the UK accelerates towards net zero, more local authorities, developers, and private organisations are reconsidering how they illuminate outdoor spaces. One question we often get at SolarVision is “are solar streetlights more sustainable than traditional grid-powered lighting?”

In this blog, we compare the environmental impact, lifecycle emissions, land use, and energy consumption so you can make an informed and forward-thinking decision.

1. Lifecycle Emissions: Solar vs Grid-Powered

Traditional Streetlights

Grid-powered streetlights are connected to the UK's national electricity network. While the grid is adding renewable sources, it still relies on nuclear plants, CCGT’s (Combined Cycle Gas Turbine) and on frequent occasions, pulls electricity from neighbouring countries which use fossil fuels. Over a 20-30 year lifespan, traditional streetlights generate substantial carbon emissions, particularly from electricity use and infrastructure maintenance.

Solar Streetlights

Solar streetlighting solutions use photovoltaic panels to capture sunlight and store energy in batteries for outdoor lighting. Once installed, they operate with net-zero emissions. Although some CO₂ is emitted during manufacturing, modern solar lighting systems offset this footprint, over their lifetime. Furthermore, they do not continue to emit carbon, unlike traditional lights.

Note: Solar streetlighting is more responsible for the environment.

2. Land Use and Installation Impact

Traditional Streetlights

Installing grid-connected lights involves digging trenches, laying underground cabling, installing feeder pillars and more. This process causes disruption to roads, is time consuming and is very costly.

Solar Streetlights

Solar streetlights are independent and intelligent solutions which require no trenching, no grid connection and no feeder pillars. They are easy to install on paths, car parks, housing developments, and other outdoor spaces. This reduces the environmental footprint and shortens the installation time dramatically, therefore saving money. A good example is we can install and commission 5 solar columns (using planted root method) Whereas with traditional columns one has to go through a number of procedures that could take weeks to get the columns working from digging the trench laying the ducts, cabling, jointing and then back filling the trench.

Note: Solar streetlighting causes less disruption and is easier to deploy.

3. Energy Efficiency and Long-Term Savings

Traditional Streetlights

Even with LED upgrades, traditional lights depend on electricity from the grid. This means ongoing energy bills, exposure to price fluctuations, and potential failure from power cuts.

Solar Streetlights

Solar-powered lights run entirely off renewable energy. Now installed with the latest generation of LED’s, they consume zero grid electricity, reducing strain on local infrastructure, and can be reliable in all seasons.

In the UK, our modern solar streetlights can operate year-round, even during shorter winter days, thanks to improved battery storage, intelligent controllers and the latest gen of LED’s.

Note: Solar streetlighting is more efficient and provides greater savings.

Conclusion

Solar street lighting proves to be the most effective solution for carbon emissions, disruption, energy consumption, and maintenance. Traditional streetlights have a purpose on the main highways throughout the UK, but for general street lighting, the rules need to be re-written to accommodate renewable technology.

Need help choosing the right solar streetlight?

We’re here to guide you through every step. Evaluate your options based on the information above and take a step toward a sustainable future!

Call our team for guidance or support and a specialist will be happy to help you.

01923 726150