Educational 4 November 2024
Street lighting is a critical element of new housing developments. Beyond the obvious benefit of enhancing visibility for drivers and pedestrians, it deters criminal activity, encourages ‘after-hours’ recreation and socialization, and—done right—provides opportunities for energy and financial savings.
But for all its benefits, lighting a new development is not without challenges. The upfront cost to purchase and install lights can be extremely steep. The ongoing cost of powering them from the grid is equally so. And, as one of the last features to be installed, lighting is frequently the source of disruptions and delays—the last thing anyone wants on a nearly completed project.
The good news is there’s a new option for developers looking for affordable, reliable, hassle-free lighting: Solar Lighting as a Service (SLaaS). Like other “as a service” offerings, SLaaS allows customers to pay for their lighting monthly, avoiding the expensive initial outlay for design, equipment, and installation. It also has the advantage of being easily transferable to the HOA or CDD at the time of hand-over, and its sustainable aspect can raise the appeal for environmentally minded homebuyers.
Sol has teamed up with financial institutions and outdoor lighting contractors across the U.S. to connect developers with flexible, affordable street lighting solutions. Here’s what you need to know.
SLaaS in incredibly simple. As an all-inclusive service, it takes all the hassles that typically come with a large-scale lighting project—coming up with capital or securing financing, waiting on the utility to complete photometric and wiring plans, coordinating installation, negotiating maintenance contracts—and packages them as a single, streamlined offering. Developers pay nothing upfront and get years of reliable, guaranteed lighting.
As with all our projects, Sol supplies not only the products but also a detailed assessment of the location and requirements. We deliver a customized product recommendation and lighting layout, ensuring all relevant standards are met. Our partners handle the financing, installation, and maintenance, with flexible contract terms and the option to renew the service or acquire the lights at the end of the term.
How do SLaaS costs compare to grid-tied street lighting?
SLaaS is significantly more affordable than conventional, grid-tied street lighting. There are a couple reasons for this. First, solar lights don’t require trenching, cabling, or wiring to connect them to the grid. This alone can save developers hundreds of thousands of dollars. Let’s use an example of a community with 150 lots. If you were to put a light every 3 lots (~150 feet) at the utility’s going rate of $30/linear foot, it would cost ~$225,000—nearly a quarter million dollars that you don’t have to pay with solar lighting.
Second, powering a grid-tied light costs money! Exactly how much depends on the fixture and the local cost of electricity, but for a mid-tier fixture in Florida, it’s around $340/year per streetlight. That adds up to $17,000/year for our example community—a cost that is only expected to rise as demand for electricity grows. Solar lights, it goes without saying, don’t come with this cost and are entirely free to power.
Lower costs are nice (really nice!), but they’re far from the only perks for developers. In not purchasing lights outright, SLaaS customers effectively ‘de-risk’ their investment by allowing the SLaaS partner to retain ownership and responsibility for the lights’ maintenance, repairs, and upgrades. Maintenance crews are available 24/7, and customers can rest easy knowing there will be no unforeseen costs.
Solar lighting is also much, much faster to deploy and install than conventional lighting because it doesn’t require disruptive and costly trenching and wiring. Depending on the product and foundation, a solar light can be installed in as little as 30 minutes without waiting for the utility to assemble a specialized work crew and equipment. (Being ‘wireless’ also makes solar lights a cinch to relocate should it be required.)
And then there’s resiliency. Because solar lights aren’t connected to the grid, they neither contribute to its overload nor are they impacted by its increasingly common blackouts, brownouts, and faults. Residents of solar-lit communities receive continuous light throughout the year—as well as the safety, security, and comfort that comes with it.
Finally, as a signifier of environmental awareness and action, solar lighting has the potential to raise curb appeal and attract homebuyers. Thoughtfully designed solar street lighting not only creates a warm, inviting, and distinctive atmosphere after dark, but communicates the environmental sustainability and values critical in today’s market.
As the U.S. continues to expand its housing stock, it’s important for developers to know that they have options when it comes to street lighting, and to understand what they involve. If you have a project you think would be a good fit for SLaaS—or if you’d like more information—please don’t hesitate to reach out.
