Case study April 2021
Opening in 2009 as a part of the Los Angeles County’s Bicycle Master Plan, the Whittier Greenway Trail is a popular 4.5-mile commuter and recreational multi-use pathway promoting active transportation while helping to improve traffic congestion and air quality. The pathway features six “stations”—a nod to the corridor’s historic railroad—with educational materials on different parts of Whittier’s history and economic development. More than 500,000 users enjoy the pathway each year.
A 2.8-mile extension of the Greenway Trail was planned for 2019 that would complete the connection of the LA County trail network to Orange County’s trails. For this large project, the City of Whittier decided solar lighting would be the ideal fit to light the pathway.
Park & Pathway
Whittier, California
56 EverGen M Series systems
The City of Whittier determined that installing grid-connected lighting along the pathway was far too costly due to its distance from the utility and the permits required. They decided to go with solar but were concerned whether solar lights would be able to meet the project’s required light levels reliably for years without driving up the cost.
Now complete since November 2020, Sol’s solar pathway lights have helped make the Whittier Greenway path safer for cyclists and pedestrians.
The Sol by Sunna Design team conducted a comprehensive site assessment with their advanced solar sizing tools and 20+ years of experience. They recommended 56 EverGen M Series solar lighting systems, each equipped with one 170W solar panel, one battery, and a Dark-Sky compliant LED fixture all mounted on a 20-foot steel pole. The City also needed to meet IES light level targets, a spec Sol was able to achieve thanks to high-efficacy fixtures and proper pole spacing.
The City of Whittier chose Sol for the project in 2020, impressed by their hundreds of solar lights already successfully installed around the Greater Los Angeles area. Plus, Sol’s EverGen met the project’s specifications at a reduced cost compared to other manufacturers’ solar lights.
