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Solar sign lighting systems are designed to meet illumination needs, whether internal LEDs or external floods are used. We wanted to go over six unique solar sign lighting system designs for our clients to help provide a customized solution to their needs. The solar is always remote from the LEDs or fixtures and provides a system designed to their specifications and sized for the installation location and local sun hours.
Jupiter Medical Internal Sign
Jupiter Medical Center has been working on updating and upgrading its facility. One of these upgrades was to provide a new sign on the corner of the main roadway to direct people to the hospital and emergency room. Because the sign was in the median, bringing in traditional grid power would have increased the construction costs and road closure times. So instead, Innerface Architectural Signage Inc, the sign manufacturer, worked closely with SEPCO to find a solar solution to power the LED modules from dusk to dawn year-round.
The sign cabinet features 70 of the Principal Streetfighter series to fully illuminate the sign for a power requirement of 54.6 Watts. The solar provides plenty of power to illuminate just over 13 hours in the winter and provides a minimum of five nights backup. SEPCO worked with the engineers to provide a custom anchor base pole for breakaway requirements for the Town of Jupiter. The final installation was completed in December 2018, just before the holiday season.
Plains GA Solar Flood Lights
Jimmy Carter introduced the solar tax credit and renewable energy policies and was the first president to install solar panels on the roof of the White House. So, it would make sense that the place markers of the home of Jimmy Carter would be lit by solar energy. The home of Jimmy Carter is in Plains, GA, and is where he resides today. This is a huge attraction for the area, and many people stop to take pictures of the area and plaques located along the way.
We were contacted by SolAmerica Energy, a leading solar developer based in Georgia, to provide the solar lighting systems for SolAmerica to install in Plains. The Plains Better Hometown civic group and Chamber of Commerce were installing new plaques to mark Jimmy Carter's hometown and wanted to put up new colorful signs; however, they required lighting at night. Since there was no available power nearby, and the former President had always pushed for solar energy, using a solar lighting system was the preferred choice.
The design called for an Architectural Flood fixture to provide the necessary lighting all night for these plaque signs. This setup provides the ability for travelers to take pictures and night and always showcase the area. The system is powered by a 50 Watt solar power system that provides plenty of power to light the signs all night and provides five days storage for inclement weather, ensuring the system runs reliably for years to come. In addition, this ensures there is little to no maintenance required for the system over the next 20+ years.
Arlington Heights Banner Lights
SEPCO worked directly with the City of Arlington Heights twice to provide a solution for their downtown banner area lights. These banners were in their downtown areas and installed after the newly constructed area was completed. Solar was used to illuminate the banners at night, not disturbing the area, and a cost-effective solution. These are custom-designed systems made to integrate into the banner pole and keep everything high up for access to the sun.
The banner lights operate a few hours after dusk, during peak times, to allow the solar to stay small at only 30 Watts. The fixtures are also very small and lightweight to allow for the smaller arm to be used for mounting the fixtures out away from the face of the sign banner. The beam then shines down along the banner face, separate from the solar, to allow for proper solar and fixture orientation.
Armellini Trailer Sign Lights
Armellini Express Lines wanted to put out a trailer to attract more drivers to their company out by the turnpike; however, there is no power at this location of their property. So, instead of running electricity out to this site, they opted to go with a solar solution instead of standard electric as it had perfect southern exposure.
The Armellini trailer features five 12-Watt fixtures to evenly illuminate the sign without creating a lot of hot spots or leaving any areas in the dark. The solar is roof-mounted and operates all five fixtures from dusk to dawn year-round. The battery assembly is located on the roof with the solar. However, this type of setup could have had the battery assembly located inside the trailer.
Stemilt Remote Flood Light
Stemilt had a single sign far from any power source that required illumination to provide direction to truckers for nighttime deliveries. This location needed to have care provided for the fixture installation as there was no possibility for a ground mount installation and required a flashing beacon to attract truckers to this entrance. SEPCO worked with the installer to provide enough solar to ensure proper illumination with a specialized mounting of the fixture and operation of the beacon all night long.
In central Washington, the system consists of one 200-Watt solar array and a double battery assembly to operate the fixture and beacon all night, dusk to dawn. Due to the cold winters and times of inclement weather, additional solar and storage were sized to ensure there was plenty of backup to compensate for overcast days. In addition, the solar is mounted next to the sign to ensure a proper southern orientation for peak sun collection.
Orchid Bay Sign & Landscape
A local HOA, Orchid Bay, opted for a solar solution to showcase their new sign and landscaping. SEPCO worked with the HOA to find a solution that would allow the sign and the trees to be illuminated at night. This system features a single floodlight for the sign, and a couple of in-grade ground-mounted fixtures to shine up at the trees. Everything is powered by a single solar power assembly, which is powder-coated to help blend it into the surrounding landscape and meet the aesthetic need of the project.
The system installed at the Orchid Bay entrance features one 10-Watt flood fixture and three 3.5-Watt uplights for the trees. The solar consists of a single solar panel and single battery setup; since the wattage is low and the project is in South Florida, the sun is in abundance here. The solar is remotely mounted nearby in an area with full sun exposure, and the fixtures all mount under the trees in the shade.
Conclusion
Solar sign lights can be very adaptable to provide power or illumination through many forms. So, whether the project calls for LED module power, uplights for trees, or small architectural fixtures, SEPCO has a way to adapt its sign lighting systems to meet the customer's needs. And by having the solar separated from the solar power assembly, there is always a way to shine a light on your next sign project.
