| Volume
III, Issue No. 10 (October 2006)
Solar Flood Lights - An Ingenious Idea Saved One Developer
$9,000
 Barry
Hunter, Assistant Project Manager of Land Development for Lakemont developers,
was faced with a costly predicament. A couple of Lakemont’s sub-contractors
had a miscommunication and paved a two-lane road before laying conduit
from one side to the other. The purpose of this small conduit was to
provide power to light up a sign in front of Canyon Pines. Canyon Pines
is a beautiful collection of homes in a master-planned community in the
sub division of Somersett.
When Barry received a bid for over $9,000 to cut
the concrete, lay conduit and then repave it, he was desperate for
other options. Unable to find
a method of power, the beautiful 6’ x 9’ Canyon Pines sign
had been in the dark for over four months. Barry then found Independent
Power Corporation (IPC), a local solar contractor. He met with Grayson
Omans of IPC in hopes of discovering a reliable, efficient and economical
solution. To remedy this predicament, Mr. Omans looked to LEDtronics
Inc. to provide an efficient, beautiful, low power consuming, and bright
LED lighting solution. Mr. Bruce Howard, a LEDtronics representative
from Howard Industrial Sales Inc., assisted Mr. Omans with this project.
They proposed using two of LEDtronics part #GDL002-200-XCW- 014S LED
Flood Lights. These LED floodlights are designed to run on 12 volts DC
with solar panels. This allowed Mr. Hunter to light his sign without
having to incur costly landscaping and electrical power line costs.
The LED floodlights provided cold white lighting (8,000K) using 5mm
LEDs that remain cool enough to touch. These LEDs consume only 12 watts
of power per floodlight compared to the power hungry 40 watt or 100 watt
incandescent spotlights normally used in this application. Now the whole
system can be run on
Installation of the solar powered LED lighting system took two people one
and a half days to complete. To extend the life of the system and operate
during long periods of cloudy weather, three 86 AH Gel batteries were provided
as well. To provide a clean and unobstructed view of the land they hid
most of the lighting system inside artificial rocks.
Mr. Hunter uses these floodlights eight hours a night. With the electrical
rates of 12 cents per kWH, batteries lasting 10 to 15 years, a warranty
on the solar panel for 25 years, and LED light lifespan of 50,000 hours,
he expects this system to pay for itself in 5 years. If you consider
the alternative cost for running 120volt electrical lines this solar
powered lighting system paid for itself immediately.
High Power White LED Floodlight Lamps: GDL002-200-XCW-014S
Link to: Entertainment
Engineering (page 11)
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