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Outdoor Lighting PV Applications

Outdoor area lighting is a growing photovoltaic market segment, largely international since 1989. PV powered billboard and on-premise sign illumination have been prevalent since 1987, with over ten thousand outdoor PV-powered advertising boards in use. Bus shelters, roadway rest stops, parks and parking lots are also strong subcategories in this market segment.

Many PV manufacturers and most PV distributors have performed the engineering required to put PV area lighting into widescale use, and several major companies have complete installation packages in place. System components include: Pole, lamp fixture battery box, array mount, PV modules, batteries and controller.

Common pole-mounted PV area lighting systems utilize between one and four large modules. Larger systems are rack or tracker mounted and generally are designed on a case-by-case basis.
PV powered security lighting is also a growing category. Systems are often self contained and building-mounted.

Outdoor area lighting will continue to be a growing photovoltaic market segment through at least 2015.

EXAMPLE:
Condumex(Mexico), manufactures pole-mounted street lights for distribution in Mexico and export around the world, as does Photocomm Inc. Photocomm has installed the most PV billboard lighting systems, predominantly between 1987 and 1992.

Marine lighting, such as buoy lighting requires special modules.

EXAMPLE:
The Los Angeles lighthouse radio beacon is powered by twenty four, 55 watt photovoltaic modules. Modules mounted the roof of an adjacent storage building and alerts mariners as far as fifteen miles away that they are approaching Los Angeles. Modules must meet the physical, electrical and environmental characteristics set forth in the U.S. Coast Guard's Specification No. 401, including the severe Pressure Immersion Temperature (PIT) cycling test developed by the Coast Guard to simulate unique environmental conditions present in the offshore marine environment).

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