More solar street lights are being installed around the world, and they are gradually taking over as the preferred way to illuminate the streets at night, but what are the differences? Why are solar street light systems being used now rather than bringing in power and using a traditional street light? Here are some of the differences and reasons why these new systems are so popular. Solar street light systems from top 10 solar street light manufacturer are classified into two types: off-grid and grid-tied. Off grid solar lights use no grid power and generate their own self-sustaining power on each pole, resulting in a zero electric bill for the life of the system. Grid-connected solar lighting systems feed power from solar panels to the grid. These systems are typically sized for NET Zero system design, which means they generate enough power during the day to compensate for the electrical usage of the lights at night. Both solar street light system designs consider multiple aspects of a project, including available sun, required lighting levels, spacing, fixture wattage, and backup power (off grid only).

Most modern solar-powered street lights are affixed with LED lights or built-in with LEDs. LEDs can be coloured in order to reach the desired CRI, making them resemble sunlight as closely as possible and increasing night-time visibility as a result of the process. Traditional street lights usually have metal halide lamps which are nowhere close to beating the visibility offered by solar-LED street lights. For many years, traditional street lights have failed to meet any of these requirements. A 250-400 Watt metal halide lamp is typically used inside a traditional Cobrahead fixture. Spacing, light levels, and even power consumption are not considered. Things are beginning to change as technology advances and public awareness of climate change and energy conservation grows. With new pole installations, even traditional street lights are beginning to take more into account of what the solar lighting industry has been doing for decades.