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Renewable and off-grid energy is gaining serious attention in the market right now. In cities especially, the need for reliable and cost-effective power is growing rapidly. As our cities grow, we must look to off-grid sources to fill the growing power demand. With the addition of the Energy-as-a-Service model for delivering power, as well as the improvement of smart technology which enables remote system control, the applications of off-grid power are expanding. Off-grid systems can now be used anywhere for a variety of applications.

What to consider when choosing an off-grid system? 

The type of off-grid streetlight you need depends on a few key factors. Based on these elements, the size, configuration, and style of your power system will vary. Today, there are many options available to you when choosing solar streetlights, so it’s important that you choose the system that best suits your needs. Let’s consider what factors influence your off-grid street light system. 

  Application 

Firstly, the application of your off-grid system is a determinant of the type of smart off-grid solar streetlight you need. Are you lighting critical infrastructures like highways, city roads or bridges, or is the application smaller for a sidewalk, parking lot or pathway? For example, a streetlight that illuminates a crosswalk is more mission-critical than one which provides ambient lighting for a parking lot. Also, some applications will require brighter light and higher power, each will have a different power configuration. Beyond that, some applications require an aesthetically pleasing pole with a banner or flower box, whereas others need to be taller and industrial. Whether your off-grid system is powering a light on a highway, on a sidewalk or walkway, or supporting a security camera in a residential park, it is critical that your system is specifically tailored to the application it serves. 

  Location and Environment 

Similarly, where you are in the world and the weather you experience will have an important effect on the system you need. What are the typical solar energy generation conditions? What is the weather like in the winter? What are the wind conditions and the temperature? All of these factors affect your power system’s needs, size, and configuration. For example, depending on the winter temperature, your off-grid power system may require different batteries. Or if you have high winds at certain times of the year, solar-only (no wind turbine) may be best. Regardless of your location though, there is always a solution that can meet your needs.  

  Budget

Often an important aspect of any project, the budget and spending per light can determine which system best suits your project. With the growth in solar street light options, there are now many types of off-grid street lights available to suit not only your project’s technical requirements but also your financial ones. Depending on your application and location, there may be more than one option that meets your requirements and budget.  

Why Smart Off-Grid Matters

Smart Off-Grid products give you the remote management and control that is needed to manage power effectively and ensure you have the brightest light and highest uptime reliability. Without it your options are very limited as the size, power configuration and style are tied to your application. Limited options also mean fewer lower-cost options and possibly getting something bigger than you need. Being able to remotely manage lighting profiles and power based on predictive weather and energy forecasting, effectively manage battery life cycle and remotely identify, manage and resolve issues means that you lower ongoing costs for a system with the longest life, maximum uptime and brightest light.

Clear Blue Technologies' Illumient Series Products

Clear Blue has a full suite of solar street lighting products so that you can find the exact lighting system that suits your needs.

STRADA Series

The Strada Series Illumient lighting solution is designed to illuminate roads, bridges, and highways in any environment. Because Illumient’s Strada is designed to use the highest-powered light, it is most often the choice for mission-critical situations. When the safety of pedestrian and car traffic depends on streetlighting, these systems must provide the brightest light, with the highest uptime and reliability. So, Strada series systems are designed to power the brightest light with maximum uptime. Smart technology is essential for providing highly reliable off-grid power for streetlight systems.

Because Strada uses our highest-powered light, there are various design options for different pole heights and arm lengths. This way, you can adjust the pole height and arm length to precisely fit your system’s application, and where it is being installed. Typically, Strada systems use street light poles to provide the greatest coverage of the light on a busy roadway. As well, they use Lead-Acid batteries so that they can be installed anywhere around the world.

CAMMI Series 

The Cammi Series is an Illumient lighting solution designed for smaller-scale applications such as the sidewalk or residential street lighting. Cammi streetlights require lower power, a smaller light, and a smaller pole, therefore reducing the overall costs of the system. 

Cammi systems use Lithium-Ion batteries, a smaller, more efficient alternative to Lead-Acid batteries. Lithium batteries are usually best suited for temperate or warmer locations. The smaller Lithium batteries can be neatly stored in small cabinets at the top of the pole, hidden beneath the solar panels. Storage at the top of the pole keeps them out of the way and eliminates the risk of theft, vandalism, or other damage such as flooding. Also, it allows Cammi power systems to have a smaller physical footprint and a more streamlined aesthetic for residential areas or sidewalks. Overall, Cammi is a sleek, low-cost solution for applications which don’t require as much power.   

Cammi systems are best suited to warmer locations due to their use of Lithium batteries. Most Lithium-Ion batteries are not designed for use below freezing. However, Clear Blue has designed an insulation solution which allows Lithium batteries to be used in colder regions while maintaining reliability. As seen in the image to the left, this allows Cammi systems to be installed in colder regions where typical Lithium systems would not be applicable. 

PARCO Series 

Coming in 2022, the Illumient Parco Series will be an off-grid lighting solution which combines the highly reliable Illumient technology with a compact design for parks, pathways, and recreational areas. The Parco series is a highly streamlined design for applications where the aesthetics of the streetlight are important. Due to its small physical footprint, Parco is a very low-cost solution. With its compact system design, Parco is an ideal solution for pathways and parks that require dependable lighting without the hassle of installing costly grid infrastructure.   

SENTI Series 

Targeted for Q4 2022, the Senti Illumient series is another step in Clear Blue’s pursuit of a lower-cost lighting solution. Follow our blog, on social media, and sign up for our newsletter to get the most up-to-date news regarding product launches and feature releases!

Energy-as-a-Service

As discussed in a previous blog post, each of these systems includes Clear Blue’s Energy-as-a-Service offering. Clear Blue’s EaaS is a subscription-based service which covers the power management, maintenance, and battery replacement of Illumient systems. Thus, Clear Blue’s service team will help you choose the solution that best suits your needs and will then ensure the system operates exactly as designed through Energy-as-a-Service.

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