How Do Commercial Solar Lighting Systems Work in Winter?
Have you ever wondered how commercial solar lights work in the wintertime? Considering the shorter days and longer, cloudier nights, you may worry that your outdoor lighting won’t provide enough illumination for your property—but don’t fret! Solar-powered lights can deliver significant energy savings year-round without sacrificing visibility or security. In this blog post, we’ll discuss what makes these lights efficient during the winter and explain why they are an excellent investment even when there’s less daylight. Read on to learn more about harnessing the power of the sun during cold-weather months!
Winter months can bring shorter days, longer nights, and harsher weather conditions, leading many to wonder: Do commercial solar lighting systems work in the winter? Whether illuminating roads, pathways, parking lots, or architectural landscapes, Fonroche Lighting America’s solar lighting systems are designed to thrive in any season. With advanced technology and smart design, these systems maintain their reliability, offering sustainable, cost-effective lighting—even in the coldest months. Let’s explore how our solar lighting systems, the best solar lights for cold weather, are optimized for winter and why they’re the perfect choice for commercial developers and property managers.
How Does Cold Weather Affect Solar Panels?
Cold weather has minimal effect on solar panel performance. In fact, when temperatures dip, solar lights can actually be more effective. As the temperature drops, photovoltaic cells become more efficient, meaning they absorb and convert light energy into electricity more efficiently. This means a commercial solar lighting system in cold weather can produce more power than the same system in warm conditions.
Fonroche Lighting America’s solar panels are engineered to endure temperature fluctuations, providing reliable energy generation in climates ranging from the chilly mornings of the Midwest to the icy nights of the Northeast. For those wondering, “Do solar lighting systems work in the winter?” the answer is clear: Fonroche solar lights excel in even the most frigid conditions.
How Does Snow Affect Solar Panels?
Snow is common in most regions during the winter months. So how does it affect the efficiency of solar panels?
Minimal Impact of Light Snow
A light dusting of snow will have minimal effect on solar panels—light can still penetrate through the thin sheet, and the wind or sun will disperse the powder before long. That said, heavy snowfall can pose a risk for solar panels.
Heavy Snowfall Solutions
Fortunately, there’s an easy solution to this problem—adjusting the panel to a steeper angle allows snow to slough off the panel. The panels face south toward the warming sun. The black surface absorbs heat, and the snow cover quickly slides off the hydrophobic glass surface. Fonroche’s solar panels are installed at optimized angles, allowing snow to slide off naturally. This self-clearing design ensures panels remain unobstructed and efficient.
Heat-Absorbing Design
The black, tempered glass surface of our panels absorbs heat from the sun, melting snow more quickly and preventing long-term blockages.
If you’ve ever wondered, “Do solar street lights work in the winter when there’s snow?” rest assured that Fonroche systems are designed to deliver consistent performance, no matter the weather.
Are Your Solar Lighting Batteries Formulated To Tolerate Below-Freezing Weather?
Batteries are critical for solar lighting systems, storing energy generated during the day for nighttime illumination. In freezing conditions, traditional batteries such as lead-acid or standard lithium-ion models lose capacity and degrade quickly. Fonroche Lighting America avoids these pitfalls by utilizing industrial-grade nickel-metal-hydride (NiMH) batteries, which are designed for extreme temperature resilience.
Why NiMH Batteries?
- Temperature Resistance: These batteries maintain capacity in temperatures as low as -40°F and as high as 158°F.
- Long-Lasting Performance: NiMH batteries have a lifespan that significantly outpaces traditional batteries, reducing the frequency of replacements and maintenance.
- Eco-Friendly Design: NiMH technology aligns with sustainability goals, providing an environmentally responsible energy solution.
Is Your Solar Lighting System Optimized for Winter, or Is It One Size Fits All?
Whether you live in Southern California or northern Maine, the amount of solar capacity you’ll need in winter is greater than what you’ll need in summer. A big reason is that the days are shorter in winter, but you need to consider local weather patterns as well. That’s why it’s important to get a solar energy assessment for your project location.
Fonroche Lighting America offers tailored solutions that ensure optimal performance in every climate:
- Location-Specific Assessments: Before installation, we conduct a solar energy assessment to determine the ideal system configuration, panel size, and battery capacity for your site.
- Enhanced Winter Features: Systems designed for northern climates are equipped with additional solar capacity and robust battery storage to compensate for shorter days and harsher weather.
By customizing systems for solar lighting winter performance, Fonroche ensures your property benefits from uninterrupted illumination, regardless of location.
Expanded Applications of Fonroche’s Winter-Ready Solar Lighting
Fonroche’s solar lighting systems provide exceptional winter performance for various applications:
- Roads and Streets: Ensure safety and visibility during snowy conditions with reliable, year-round lighting.
- Parks and Pathways: Create inviting public spaces with well-lit trails and walkways, even on the darkest winter nights.
- Parking Lots and Areas: Improve security and convenience for visitors while reducing reliance on the grid.
- Architectural Landscapes: Highlight property features with sustainable lighting that performs in all weather conditions.
From rural municipalities to bustling commercial developments, Fonroche systems prove their value in cold-weather environments.
How Fonroche Designs Solar Lighting That Works in Winter
Does solar lighting work in winter? Commercial solar lighting systems are working hard as winter approaches and, I’m sure plenty of off-the-shelf solar lighting products are struggling or not working at all. Though the concept of solar lighting simple, getting great lighting performance 365 nights a year isn’t. Here’s what Fonroche’s application engineers consider when they propose a solar lighting for a public project.
Plan for the Worst
Solar lights that work in winter are designed for the worst case conditions in mind. That’s why Fonroche creates a solar lighting application design for each project it sells. We complete a site specific energy analysis, a photometric design based on winter light output and define the system sizing to guarantee success.
Winter introduces several challenges, even in the sunniest parts of the country.
Night Length – In winter the duty cycle (number of hours that lighting is needed) increases by a lot. Even in Miami, the difference in night length between June and December is about 3 hours.
Less Solar Power – Since nights are longer, your solar lighting system has fewer daytime hours to collect energy. Not only that, the sun is hitting the panel at lower angle.
Weather – In many parts of the country, cloudy weather is typical for winter and, in the north, snow can cause problems for your solar lighting system in winter. Panels that don’t have enough tilt will collect snow instead of sloughing it off.
Freezing Temperatures – Older solar lighting systems used some form of lead acid battery such as AGM or Gel. These batteries have a good operating range but lose a lot of capacity in cold weather. That means you have less energy just when you need it most. Many Lithium Ion batteries operate well in cold temperatures but charging them in freezing temperatures starts a plating process that deteriorates them. You’ll need to change the batteries more frequently. Fonroche offers industrial Nickel Metal Hydride battery formulations that can operate -40°C (-40°F) to +70°C (158°F).
See for Yourself
These maps from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory illustrate the shift in available solar energy from summer to winter. Since it’s not practical to store energy from one season to another, solar lights that work in winter are designed with winter conditions in mind.
Choose Success Over Convenience
With so many low cost, off-the-shelf products available with little expense or effort, it’s tempting to just buy and try. For public lighting, that can be a big and costly mistake. The cost of maintenance and liability can quickly eliminate the benefits.
Fonroche provides solar lights that work in winter and all year round. You can expect your Smartlight system to last 20 years or more. And your first scheduled maintenance will be in 10 or more years.
Why Choose Fonroche for Your Winter Lighting Needs?
Winter challenges demand a lighting solution that’s reliable, sustainable, and designed to endure. Fonroche Lighting America delivers on all fronts, providing systems that outperform traditional options in winter conditions.
What Makes Fonroche Different?
- Proven Technology: Our systems feature advanced solar panels and NiMH batteries, ensuring durability and performance in extreme weather.
- Custom Solutions: Every installation is tailored to its environment, delivering optimized performance.
- Sustainability Commitment: By reducing energy costs and environmental impact, our systems help property managers meet their sustainability goals.
Take Action for Reliable Winter Lighting
Winter weather can be harsh, but with the right solar lighting system from Fonroche Lighting America, you don’t have to worry. Fonroche Lighting America is a commercial solar lighting company that offers state-of-the-art solar lights designed to operate in all weather conditions, including throughout the winter months.
When it comes to reliable illumination in cold-weather conditions, Fonroche Lighting America sets the standard. Whether you’re wondering, “Do commercial solar street lights work in the winter?” or need tailored solutions for your property, our advanced technology ensures consistent performance. Enhance safety, sustainability, and cost-efficiency with winter-ready solar lighting solutions.
Contact us today to learn how Fonroche Lighting America can bring cutting-edge performance to your outdoor spaces all year round.