Solar panels on Woodward Street Lights

**French777** · November-17-11, 08:00 PM

While I was walking downtown today, from Wayne State, I noticed that a few of the street lights on Woodward [[Willis and Woodward) and a few others, now have solar panels attached to them, as well as several of the lights on Farnsworth St. by the Detroit Institute of Arts. I will try and take some pictures this weekend. The solar panels themselves, are not to large, and placed about halfway up the light pole.

**canuck** · November-17-11, 08:11 PM

I want to be the buffer post between yours French777, and the one coming up about the solar panels needing spikes or the lightposts getting greased...

**old guy** · November-17-11, 08:16 PM

I hope every city starts using these.

**animatedmartian** · November-17-11, 08:42 PM

Effort by City of Detroit to save money on electricity bills? I've seen solar panels on lamps along 696 when they repaved it about a year ago. Cool that's it's becoming more common.

**townonenorth** · November-17-11, 09:12 PM

Here's two words for you all... security cameras.

Even LED streetlights can't run on a single solar panel.

**Richard** · November-17-11, 09:23 PM

I did a study on solar powered street lights a few months back , the test cities found the cost to implement,battery storage in the pole ,special light bulbs,cost of set up ,maintenance of cleaning the panels monthly and sometimes weekly it was figured that the only advantage was the thought of going green.

They are used for cameras or auto dialer for listening posts, or the gunshot sensors.

**laphoque** · November-17-11, 11:08 PM

The parking meters on Cass south of Palmer have these gray attachements that are solar powered credit card readers too. I think it does make sense. Those meters and lights should be getting cleaned anyway. I know that's not a given in this city, but they should be. If you add up all the times the grid has gone down here and all the money it takes to get the grid back up, it probably makes sense to switch to a distributed solar power network instead of attaching everything with wires: be they buried or aloft.

**old guy** · November-18-11, 04:54 PM

Originally Posted by townonenorth

Here's two words for you all... security cameras.

Even LED streetlights can't run on a single solar panel.

Attachment 11243

True, most of the highway system lights require 2 panels.
They do work when there's a power outage. When you consider the fact that when you pay for the installation of street lights when you're building new roads or streets, you're already paying for the basic pole structure, lamps and all the work and expense of laying miles of power lines. The cost of the solar panels can be offset by not having the cost of the infrastructure to lay power lines in the ground.
Having your power source [[the panels) within a foot or so from the unit you're powering [[the lights) is incredibly efficient.

When I read threads on here about the fact that the city can't afford the power to run streetlights, I have to scratch my head and wonder why people are so opposed to this type of technology.
The more we utilize this type of technology, the faster the cost of manufacturing will come down and the technology will advance. You could almost compare it to the history of the cell phone. Gosh, maybe even computers. Nah... you're right, it'd probably never work.

**Detroitnerd** · November-18-11, 05:24 PM

Security cameras and speed sensors can run on solar.

It's not like they would spend money on, you know, securing the bases of the light poles where thieves do $7.5 million worth of damage stealing copper. Those plastic shrouds took care of that, right?

**townonenorth** · November-18-11, 05:33 PM

Originally Posted by old guy

Attachment 11243

True, most of the highway system lights require 2 panels.
They do work when there's a power outage. When you consider the fact that when you pay for the installation of street lights when you're building new roads or streets, you're already paying for the basic pole structure, lamps and all the work and expense of laying miles of power lines. The cost of the solar panels can be offset by not having the cost of the infrastructure to lay power lines in the ground.
Having your power source [[the panels) within a foot or so from the unit you're powering [[the lights) is incredibly efficient.

When I read threads on here about the fact that the city can't afford the power to run streetlights, I have to scratch my head and wonder why people are so opposed to this type of technology.
The more we utilize this type of technology, the faster the cost of manufacturing will come down and the technology will advance. You could almost compare it to the history of the cell phone. Gosh, maybe even computers. Nah... you're right, it'd probably never work.

So where are these streetlights in the picture? Got a location?

Nevermind. Found the stock photo on Google. No manufacturer, nothing.

Anyway, I find that gridtied streetlights hooked in to metered solar panels offer a better solution than standalone battery powered devices, especially in an urban environment.

**Infrastructure** · November-18-11, 06:36 PM

These are likely the wireless traffic signal interconnects.

**dove-7** · November-19-11, 01:36 PM

Here's a question and maybe why some [[my guess) are reluctant to use this technology. What about during those cold winter years where it is [[ice and snow) impossible for the sun's light to penetrate the solar pads? Or is that still possible under those harsh Michigan winters?

**old guy** · November-19-11, 04:13 PM

Originally Posted by dove-7

Here's a question and maybe why some [[my guess) are reluctant to use this technology. What about during those cold winter years where it is [[ice and snow) impossible for the sun's light to penetrate the solar pads? Or is that still possible under those harsh Michigan winters?

That's possible. But I have two smaller panels in my backyard that I've been using for three years now and haven't had any problems like that. I rarely clean them because I'm using them partially to see what they can actually handle. I know that if they are kept clean they function more efficiently. They seem to work even when it's cloudy, foggy, raining or even snowing.
My battery collection units are outdoors also and have endured some really harsh, long term cold winter weather.

After hearing so much negativity on the subject I bought a small kit and set up my own experiments. So far I'm reasonably impressed. My next step is to add a 16"x16" panel to light my back porch and an additional unit to charge my cell phone or lap top. The proof's in the pudding.

**old guy** · November-19-11, 04:15 PM

Does anyone have a picture of the ones on Woodward? I'm just curious to see what they're using.

**townonenorth** · November-19-11, 06:29 PM

Originally Posted by old guy

That's possible. But I have two smaller panels in my backyard that I've been using for three years now and haven't had any problems like that. I rarely clean them because I'm using them partially to see what they can actually handle. I know that if they are kept clean they function more efficiently. They seem to work even when it's cloudy, foggy, raining or even snowing.
My battery collection units are outdoors also and have endured some really harsh, long term cold winter weather.

After hearing so much negativity on the subject I bought a small kit and set up my own experiments. So far I'm reasonably impressed. My next step is to add a 16"x16" panel to light my back porch and an additional unit to charge my cell phone or lap top. The proof's in the pudding.

It's not the doability that is the problem, it's the return on investment. Better for you to just purchase the green currents from DTE if you are interested in promoting green energy. Of course the uses you mentioned will produce some electricity, and charge things, but overall in the larger scheme of things, basically just a hobby.