How the energy crisis promotes renewable alternatives

The world is threatened by one crisis after another. While we continue to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic financially and psychologically, the specter of climate change continues to hang over us.

One solution might be closer than we think in the form of luminary lighting. It is starting to gain traction in Europe. Moreover, it could offer an alternative to fossil fuels going forward. 

Solar can lessen the burden 

Every continent on earth is currently experiencing an energy crisis. This is due to the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine, increased energy costs for businesses and consumers, and the lack of viable alternatives. The silver lining is a wake-up call for the world’s governments which have had a reliance on fossil fuels for too long. Could solar energy help to lessen the burden?

Looking at the world today, it’s easy to feel pessimistic. There are dangerous conflicts between nuclear states, the development of climate change that continues to cause seasonal disasters, and the economic crisis stretching financial centers around the world. Perhaps solar power can fight these forces as part of our post-COVID recovery plans. After all, it’s a free form of energy.     

The European Commission offers us an insight into the kind of recovery plan we should be considering if we want to free ourselves from a reliance on foreign fuel imports and simultaneously address the specter of climate change and the rising cost of a frozen display case and other commercial items. The EU aims to free itself from Russian oil in the future. 

“At the heart of every crisis is an opportunity”, says Harry Verhaar. “These crises offer us an opportunity to leapfrog into solar when considering how we light our lives.”

Solar energy is abundant, clean, and directly accessible when the correct framework is in place. Using solar predominantly for electricity can relieve pressure on the grid and develop resilience.   

Not only can domestic households benefit from an increase in solar, but many commercial sites are already making the switch. Using solar energy instead of fossil fuels reduces carbon in the atmosphere, creates more resilience, and develops safer communities. It also reduces the reliance on foreign imports relieving political and economic tensions between global powers.   

The power of solar energy 

Solar power has a wide range of applications. It can be used commercially, domestically, and publicly for street lighting, but crucially, it can be used to take pressure off the grid and create more autonomy in local communities. Where a complete reliance on solar is not possible, hybrid solutions are found which use chargeable batteries throughout the day to support peak hours.  

To put the power (or capacity) of solar lighting into some kind of perspective, if the European member states replaced their streetlights with solar-powered lamps (around 56 million streetlights), it would cut around 12 megatons (MT) of carbon from the atmosphere every year. This is the same level of carbon absorption as a forest half the size of the nation of Belgium.   

When powered by conventional electricity, public streetlights are part of the problem instead of part of the solution. In Spain, the City of Seville has made the switch and is noticing the power of solar energy as well as a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions. According to the mayor, Juan Espadas, the lights are a straightforward solution and offer excellent luminosity. 

The solar power solution 

The City of Seville might be one of the first European nations to roll out large-scale solar lighting in the streets and parks. However, they are by no means the only ones. This all-in-one integrated solution to clean lighting and under-reliance on fossil fuels has not been overlooked by the Greeks, who have discovered similar benefits on the sunny island of Leipsoi further south.

The mayor of Leipsoi installed 28 of the same SunStay luminaries and found they had similar numbers and benefits to their counterparts in Seville. The solar lights don’t have any cables or electrical connections. Instead, they stand solo and absorb radiation from the sun all day only to produce 3,000 lumens to light the streets after sunset. A solution that is powerful and cheap. 

The SunStay luminaries are proving to be effective in European countries. They reduce carbon output and help local areas to overcome misalignment issues between the grid system and road layouts. The luminaries don’t need any connections, and are they resilient to local climate conditions? In these areas, residents never worry about power outages on the streets. 

And it seems other localities in the European economic area have caught on as well. In Venice, for instance, an isolated lagoon that was difficult to light up due to its proximity to the grid is finding out about the power of SunStay solar lighting. The area, known as Cavallino Treporti, can now benefit from hassle-free solar lighting that is efficient and guaranteed to deliver. 

The benefits of luminaries 

SunStay luminaries are aptly named because it seems they are here to “stay,” at least within the European economic area. As word of their benefits begins to spread, we can expect more local areas in the region to adopt solar street lights and reduce carbon emissions. According to the mayor of Cavallino Trepote, they have never had such high light quality at a low cost before.   

But those are only some of the benefits. Of course, luminary lighting is sustainable, meaning that its output is directly equivalent to its input. Luminaries charge through the day and provide highly effective (3000 lumens) light through the night. If there is any downside of this technology, it’s that it’s not implemented fast enough. The technology is ready to go.    

In the end

While solar street lighting from SunStay has proved to be very effective in European regions, it has yet to make an appearance on American shores. It comes as something of a surprise since luminaries seem to offer the perfect way to free ourselves from the grid and avoid the worst effects of the climate, energy, and financial crisis. Or perhaps, it’s a solution in the making.