LIGHTING UP HOMES WITH SOLAR GENERATED ELECTRICITY

The lighting industry globally has undergone a phenomenal transition over the past decade. While sensor-driven lighting is soon to become the norm, rapid developments in solar power generation along with energy storage have created immense opportunities for solar-generated lighting.

The use of solar powered lighting solutions for outdoors – street lighting, park lighting and illuminating urban areas - has been popular for a while now. Consumers’ integrating solar-powered lighting solutions for indoor settings is now gaining momentum. Drastic reductions on electricity costs and maintenance costs, environment friendly and easy to install are some of the advantages and benefits of solar generated lighting.

The significant increase in demand for energy, coupled with the continuous reduction in existing sources of fossil fuels have played a critical role in exploring new technologies for the production of electrical energy using clean, renewable sources, such as solar energy.

Generating electricity from thermal power stations is now becoming an expensive source of electricity. With sunlight available in abundance, there is immense potential to harness the limitless power of the sun by deploying solar panels to generate clean and affordable electricity. Solar panels that power the solar lights can be installed outdoors on rooftops. The solar tracker in the solar panel tracks the sunlight and the light detected is converted to electric power using the photovoltaic effect that provides excellent indoor illumination. 

“While technological advancements in lighting have paved the way for new convenient lighting solutions, the importance of solar generated light in terms of energy saving, cost and maintenance has caught the attention of the citizens and governments alike. In the UAE, the government has commissioned the implementation of solar powered street lighting that meets the principle of sustainability. The outdoor solar lighting industry has witnessed discernible growth, while solar lighting indoor is a segment that indicates high growth potential.” said, Mr. Brad Hariharan, Regional Director, Expotrade Middle East.

Being an inexhaustible source of energy, many governments across the globe, have undertaken programs in remote locations with limited access to electricity to light up the streets and homes by installing solar powered lights or lamps. The full potential of the UAE’s solar sector is still under developed. The Masdar 10 MW Solar Power Plant that produces 17,500 MWh of clean electricity annually is one of the largest solar photovoltaic system ever constructed in the Middle East.

Industry experts will highlight and discuss the techniques and market scenario for solar generated lighting enhancement in a panel discussion at the Middle East Smart Lighting and Energy Summit 2015, held under the patronage of Abu Dhabi Municipality that will be held on 23-24 November, 2015 at Jumeirah at Etihad Towers, Abu Dhabi.