If we asked you what the best country for a solar-powered light would be, what would you say? Mexico? Australia? Brazil? While a country with a warm climate and year-round sunshine might seem like the obvious answer, if you look at the top countries in the world for solar capacity—Germany, China, and Japan—you’ll notice that […]

One of the biggest perks of solar lighting is that it is self-contained, meaning it doesn’t rely on the grid for power, and it doesn’t require trenching to install. But this perk is only a perk if you understand how solar lighting works, and build your systems to take full advantage of it. Because solar […]

In the span of a decade, LEDs have transformed everything from car headlights to Christmas trees to streetlights. And it makes sense: compared to their conventional incandescent or high-pressure sodium (HPS) counterparts, LEDs use less energy, produce better, more direct light, and last almost seven times as long, resulting in significant cost savings. Given the […]

When it comes to solar lighting, the times you want to use energy are rarely the same as when your panels can produce it. Peak electricity generation typically happens around midday; peak consumption happens after dark. That means that if you want to power an off-grid light after dark, you’re going to need a good […]

It’s no secret that the U.S. electrical grid is in dire straits. Over the past several decades, energy production and consumption have risen steadily, placing an untenable burden on a system that was never intended to carry such a sizeable load. According to the American Society of Civil Engineers’ 2017 Infrastructure Report Card, the lower […]

Operating profiles. Array-to-load ratios. Depth of discharge. There’s a lot to consider when undertaking a large-scale lighting project and it’s easy to feel overwhelmed if you don’t “speak solar.” We’re here to help. Whether you’re evaluating specs and components for a specific project or simply seeking to better understand the technology and benefits of off-grid […]

Solving big problems starts by thinking small   On September 21–23, 2019, the UN Climate Action Summit took place in New York City, drawing together representatives of government, the private sector, civil society, local authorities, and other international organizations to develop solutions to the climate crisis facing the planet. Many eyes were on 16-year-old Swedish […]

When Renewable Energy Relieves Grid Demand California’s inhabitants have seen many dry seasons over the years, but this fall seems especially problematic for residents of the Golden State. Earlier this week, Pacific Gas & Electric stated a condition of unprecedented wildfire danger. Hundreds of thousands of customers were scheduled to lose power in their homes. […]

When you install a traditional commercial light, you don’t often need to be concerned with whether it will be “bright” enough or will operate continuously because there is an expectation that it will work as specified. You trench, lay cables, connect to the utility, and bam—you have light! However, if avoiding those trenching and utility […]

US Green Building Council strives to expand the green conversation to be more inclusive The US Green Building Council (USGBC) is a non-profit that strives to transform how buildings are designed, constructed, and operated through the LEED rating system. It advocates for green building that generates both environmental and social benefits for communities. In an […]