Inovus Solar installs on-grid solar LED area lights

Solar panels integrated on LED area-light poles feed power onto the grid during daytime peak electrical usage to compound the energy savings of SSL technology.

Inovus Solar has announced the first installation of its LED-based On-Grid Solar Street Light poles in a Boise, Idaho big-box retail store called WinCo Foods. The poles have integral solar panels and inverters that supply electricity onto the grid during the day, essentially reducing the cost of electricity used by the store during peak periods, while the grid powers the solid-state lighting (SSL) at night when rates are lower.

The WinCo installation includes six Inovus light poles equipped with LED-based Evolve luminaires from GE Lighting that are located around the perimeter of the parking lot. Inovus also includes wireless communications capability in the poles that allows for adaptive control – for instance dimming the lights late at night to compound the baseline energy savings attributable to SSL.

WinCo projects that the on-grid solar SSL installation will save 24,000 kW/h per year, and eliminate 16,000 pounds of CO₂ emissions. WinCo hopes the pilot installation leads toward using the LED and solar combination at all new stores and to retrofit other locations over time.