Solar Powered LED Street Light - Report Example

Solar Powered LED Street light 27 Mar 2015 Supervisor: Dr Wlodek GORNISIEWICZ Abstract The use of solar power has increased because of the benefits it offers compared to other forms of energies. The solar-powered LED street lighting system reduces the dependency on conventional power, and it also contributes towards green energy. This project presents a design of a solar-powered LED street lights with intelligent control. In this project, photovoltaic cells will be used to charge a battery by converting solar energy (sunlight) into electrical energy. A microcontroller will be used to achieve high-energy efficiency and intelligent operation. The controller circuit will regulate the charging and discharging, and also control the intensity of the street lights as they will be kept high during the peak hours and low during off-peak hours. 1. Introduction The solar powered LED street lighting system utilizes the solar radiation energy to charge a battery with the photovoltaic panel throughout the day and provide electrical energy to the LED light system during the night. This type of system offers two main benefits: energy saving and utilization of new energy[Pri14]. 1.1. Motivation Considering the escalation of energy crisis globally, many nations are seeking for a means to solve this severe problem. One solution to this is to look for new energy and taking advantage of the renewable energy. Another solution is to make use of the new energy-saving technologies to enhance the utilization efficiency of energy and reduce energy consumption. Providing street lighting is a very crucial thing, but an expensive responsibility. It can account for around 10-38% of the total energy used in a typical city globally[Pri14]. The sun is a non-polluting, reliable, and in-exhaustive source of power. Concerns over resource scarcity, air pollution, and climatic change make photovoltaic (PV) a very attractive technology for energy supply. The use of solar energy with LEDs rather than compact fluorescent light (CFL) bulbs provides a very effective solution. LED is a semiconductor device that has the capability of converting electrical energy into visible light. It offers many benefits such as environmental durance and protection, long service life, lower power consumption, and small size. The LED’s spectrum is mostly concentrated in the visible light; thus it has a high luminous efficiency. As a result, it can be identified as a major reform in the solid light source. Lighting products that are powered using solar power are ideal for lighting streets because they reduce the dependence on traditional power, and this is a great step towards green energy. The reliability and durability of solar power make its use an effective solution to fulfill the current and future lighting requirements. The LED technology has advanced a lot ad its lighting system is using more low-power products to attain similar effects as the conventional lighting, and its price is also very low compared to traditional lighting. The current advancements in high power LED technology can provide energy savings of up to 80% and a substantial decrease in carbon emissions[YaL12]. This project will focus on the solar-powered LED street light system. The system will use the solar radiation energy to charge a battery with a solar panel in the course of the day, and provide energy to the LED light system during the night. A microcontroller will be used to control the system. 1.2. Objectives The main objective of this project is to design a solar powered LED street lights with intelligent control. Since the knowledge of solar energy is increasing, institutions and individuals are gradually opting for solar energy. In this project, photovoltaic cells will be used to charge a battery by converting solar energy (sunlight) into electrical energy. A controller circuit will be used to regulate the charging. The control circuit will also be used to control the intensity of the street lights as they will be kept high during the peak hours and low during off-peak hours. The intensity control will assist in saving energy during off-peak hours while traffic density is low on the streets. A programmable microcontroller will be used to provide different intensities of light at various times of the night for energy saving. 1.3. Significance The solar-powered LED street light does not require the setting up of a transmission line or routing the cable. It also does not require any specialized management and control. The installation of solar LED street light can be done in any location without any distraction. The benefits offered by LED lighting fits very well in the modern world because it is green efficient, and its products are long-lasting. The characteristics of a good LED street lighting system include environmental protection, high colour rendering index, long-life, energy-saving, and high efficiency. This means that LED street lighting does not only offer an energy-saving advantage but also is closely related to our health and the economic development. Therefore, it is worthy to design a reliable LED street light system. A reliable LED street light system should meet a number of conditions, including being capable of learning general information about the meteorological conditions in the region; make use of cost-effective battery, controller, solar panel and all the other components; and, capable of adopting effective measures to offer protection to the lighting system. The three conditions enable someone to design a logical solution and actualize the value and significance of the existence of solar-powered LED street light street. 2. Proposed Approach The main components of the solar powered LED street lighting system include a solar cell, LED lamps, and control box. The control box will have three components namely the charger, microcontroller and the battery. The solar cells or solar panel refer to the photovoltaic cells that will be irradiated by sunlight. The solar cell will be connected to an external load to enable current circulation within the circuit. The solar cells will be connected in series as well as in parallel with others in order to increase the output power. It is important to create this solar array because a single solar cell produces only 1-2 watts. The solar panel will be the central part of the solar-powered LED street light system. Its main function will be to convert radiant energy of the sun to electrical energy and then this energy passes through the controller to be stored in the battery. The battery that will be used in the project has to meet two major requirements: long discharge time and slower discharge rate. The best choice for this project will be the VRLA (valve- regulated lead-acid) batteries as they have high-energy and are maintenance free. These batteries are considered maintenance free because it is not essential to check the electrolyte level, and they do not need adding acid or water during service life. The reason I need to use batteries of high quality is because the performance of the streetlights is directly related to the quality of the batteries. The batteries will be connected in series because direct parallel connection because the internal resistance of each battery is different, and it is likely to form a circulation within the batteries. The microcontroller will be the intelligent core of the entire solar-powered LED street light system. It main function will involve controlling the whole system normal operation and preventing the battery from discharge or overcharge automatically. Its basic function will also include anti-reverse connection, time control, and light control. Other control mechanisms will also be implemented in the project such as the street light intensity control based on object movement. The LED lights will automatically turn on at nightfall and turn off the power supply at daybreak or at a certain time. This will be the time control function offered by the controller. The lighting source of the solar-powered LED street light system will be a high-power white LED. The high-power white LED lighting source has a number of benefits as compared to other lighting sources. Some of these benefits include low maintenance cost, remarkable energy saving, and many more. Therefore, it is very reliable for street lighting. Block diagram of the Project 3. Timeline The timeline of the project is presented using a Gantt chart as shown in Attachment 2. The preparation of the entire research is anticipated to take place during the two semesters. The presentation will be done during the last week of the second semester. As indicated in the chart, the project is divided into various tasks, all of which are carried out sequentially. Documentation or preparing the project report will be done till the project is complete and ready for presentation. The first 12 weeks will be spent on research and preparing the sample design. Building the design and testing will be done during the second semester, and after testing is complete, the implementation of the project will take place. 4. Risk Assessment All engineering products under development usually have a certain amount of risk, and this project is not different. Since the project will not involve real streetlights, the risk assessment will focus on the simple activities involved in this project. One major risk that is associated with many projects is the injury. Although making the solar-powered LED lighting system is a less risky project, any project involving electricity may cause severe injuries if safety precautions are not taken seriously. Electric shock is another risk that can be caused by the DC or AC involved in the project. Other risks that may occur in this project include compatibility of the project with existing systems, design defects, and tight schedule. These risks are likely to cause project uncertainty, delay to the timetable, and increase in project cost. 5. Progress to Date Table 1: Project Progress Task / Week 2 3 4 5 Draft Final edit 6. Conclusion As discussed above, this project will focus on the design of a solar-powered LED street light system. The system offers many benefits such as environmental durance and protection, long service life, lower power consumption, and small size. The benefits offered by LED lighting fits very well in the modern world because it is green efficient, and its products are long-lasting. These benefits are of importance considering the escalation of energy crisis globally. Therefore, this system has important significance for a research project and its future application. Attachment 1 – Risk Assessment Matrix Risk Reference Risks Consequences Current Risk Treatments Current Level of Risk Additional Risk Treatments Residual Level of Risk Likelihood Consequence Risk Level Ranking Likelihood Consequence Risk Level Ranking 1 Injury Physical damage Personal protective equipment High High 2 Electrical shock Electrocution Disconnecting the power while working on the circuits High High 3 Compatibility with existing systems Project uncertainty Get extra resources where required Medium Medium 4 Design defects Increase in cost Project uncertainty Delay to the timetable Peer reviews of the project at critical stages Low Low 5 Tight schedule Delay to the timetable Proper time management Medium Medium Activity Overall Risk Rating 0.00 35% Table 2: Project Timeline Topics / Dates July Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Research Documentation Sample design Project design Building Circuit Testing Implementation Final editing Read More

The use of solar energy with LEDs rather than compact fluorescent light (CFL) bulbs provides a very effective solution. LED is a semiconductor device that has the capability of converting electrical energy into visible light. It offers many benefits such as environmental durance and protection, long service life, lower power consumption, and small size. The LED’s spectrum is mostly concentrated in the visible light; thus it has a high luminous efficiency. As a result, it can be identified as a major reform in the solid light source.

Lighting products that are powered using solar power are ideal for lighting streets because they reduce the dependence on traditional power, and this is a great step towards green energy. The reliability and durability of solar power make its use an effective solution to fulfill the current and future lighting requirements. The LED technology has advanced a lot ad its lighting system is using more low-power products to attain similar effects as the conventional lighting, and its price is also very low compared to traditional lighting.

The current advancements in high power LED technology can provide energy savings of up to 80% and a substantial decrease in carbon emissions[YaL12]. This project will focus on the solar-powered LED street light system. The system will use the solar radiation energy to charge a battery with a solar panel in the course of the day, and provide energy to the LED light system during the night. A microcontroller will be used to control the system. 1.2. Objectives The main objective of this project is to design a solar powered LED street lights with intelligent control.

Since the knowledge of solar energy is increasing, institutions and individuals are gradually opting for solar energy. In this project, photovoltaic cells will be used to charge a battery by converting solar energy (sunlight) into electrical energy. A controller circuit will be used to regulate the charging. The control circuit will also be used to control the intensity of the street lights as they will be kept high during the peak hours and low during off-peak hours. The intensity control will assist in saving energy during off-peak hours while traffic density is low on the streets.

A programmable microcontroller will be used to provide different intensities of light at various times of the night for energy saving. 1.3. Significance The solar-powered LED street light does not require the setting up of a transmission line or routing the cable. It also does not require any specialized management and control. The installation of solar LED street light can be done in any location without any distraction. The benefits offered by LED lighting fits very well in the modern world because it is green efficient, and its products are long-lasting.

The characteristics of a good LED street lighting system include environmental protection, high colour rendering index, long-life, energy-saving, and high efficiency. This means that LED street lighting does not only offer an energy-saving advantage but also is closely related to our health and the economic development. Therefore, it is worthy to design a reliable LED street light system. A reliable LED street light system should meet a number of conditions, including being capable of learning general information about the meteorological conditions in the region; make use of cost-effective battery, controller, solar panel and all the other components; and, capable of adopting effective measures to offer protection to the lighting system.

The three conditions enable someone to design a logical solution and actualize the value and significance of the existence of solar-powered LED street light street. 2. Proposed Approach The main components of the solar powered LED street lighting system include a solar cell, LED lamps, and control box. The control box will have three components namely the charger, microcontroller and the battery. The solar cells or solar panel refer to the photovoltaic cells that will be irradiated by sunlight.

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