EXISTING POLE WITH ELECTRICITY
If you have an existing street light pole with electricity running to it, the most cost-effective solution to reduce your power consumption is to replace your existing light head, with a high-efficiency LED light head. We do not manufacture these light heads. Several major lighting companies have these available. One Canadian company that offers the sales, installation, and service for this type of product is Trafco.
NEW INSTALLATION
When all of the costs are considered, it is less expensive to purchase and install solar street lights than traditional street lights for a new installation. Solar power street lights also cost less to operate and maintain solar lights than traditional street lights.
One of the biggest costs associated with area lighting is trenching electricity to each pole. In most urban environments, this cost runs anywhere from $4,000 to $10,000 per pole, considering all of the costs associated with trenching. (This includes the substation connection, transformer, protection, permits, application, trenching, cable costs, and connection costs.) In rural environments, or locations where power is not close-at-hand, this cost can be even more.
Once installed, solar street lights cost less to operate than traditional lights. There is no electricity cost, and the LED light bulbs last 50,000 + hours.