SEPCO recently completed a solar LED walkway lighting retrofit project at a US Marine Corps Bachelor Enlisted Quarters. This installation allows for improvement in energy security and reduces current energy usage on the base. The new fixtures were selected to match the old lighting fixtures in design to fit the architectural integrity of the area and allow for more efficient LED technology to be used in conjunction with solar power. The project also allowed for lower costs by utilizing the existing light poles.
At US Marine Corps Bachelor Enlisted Quarters installation, there were 143 area and walkway lights installed. The light fixtures were post-top pole-mounted luminaires using high energy-consuming 150 Watt high-pressure sodium lamps. The goal of the project was to disconnect the BEQ lighting and retrofit it with a much lower watt, higher quality, longer operating life light fixture operating from solar power. Thus, the area would be completely off a costly, potentially compromised public electrical grid.
Mandates currently set forth by the US Federal Government pertaining to federal facilities make solar LED lighting an ideal solution. One requirement is that federally owned property and buildings are mandated to reduce current energy use materially. A second requirement is to improve energy security by employing renewable power that operates independently of the electrical utility grids. Off-grid solar lighting systems fit those requirements perfectly.
The USMC BEQ light fixtures operate from dusk to dawn by using solar panels to sense day and night instead of old-fashioned photocells. The existing HPS light fixtures formerly consumed 257,400 Watts of costly grid power each night!
The new LED solar lights operate with improved white lighting quality, far lower maintenance costs, and higher visual acuity for enhanced facility security. The new solar units draw zero watts of electricity and are completely independent of an outside electrical grid utility.
The most efficient, economical way to meet federal mandates was to reuse the existing light poles and attach the new, more efficient LED post-top fixtures that provide equal or better quality light than high-pressure sodium. Technical calculations determine that 18 Watt LED Slide light fixtures from Beacon Products to provide superior illumination.
All existing light poles were reused with existing underground conduits and wiring in most locations. SEPCO’s ground-mounted stand-alone solar electric power arrays were installed, able to operate up to four fixtures each.
Want to see how solar can help your project save money? Contact us today to speak to a solar lighting specialist, and we can work to provide you with a system that not only meets your needs but also provides cost savings.