FAQ’s
Frequently Asked Questions
Solar bollard lights use a solar panel, which has a series of photovoltaic (PV) cells that convert sunlight into an electrical current that moves through an electrical control circuit into the storage battery. After dark, the battery uses the stored energy collected during the day to power the LEDs (light-emitting diodes) that are hard-wired into the electrical control circuit.
Solar bollard lights are made in various locations with manufacturers in Australia, Austria, Canada, Britain, and China.
Reliability always depends on product quality, so you won’t buy a quality commercial-grade solar bollard light cheaply.
A quality commercial-grade solar bollard light will be what is called fit-for-purpose and will reliably come on every night for at least 10 years and will come with a 10-year product warranty that covers the battery and light pole or mounting bracket as well.
Nothing, as the energy is provided by the sun, which is naturally replenishing and a free resource. That is why solar lighting is so cost-effective and reliable.
It is important when purchasing solar lighting that the purchase price is not the only criterion when measuring value for money. Your ‘Return on Investment’ (ROI) should be calculated on the whole of life asset cost.
A simple way to calculate value for money is to use the product warranty term, which is how long manufacturers of solar lighting expect their product to be reliable and will provide you with an annual cost as shown in this example of a solar bollard light with a 5-year warranty versus one with a 10-year warranty (excl. installation, labour, transport, taxes).
3-year warranted product – Price $400 ÷ 3 years = $133.34 per annum
5-year warranted product – Price $600 ÷ 5 years = $120 per annum
10-year warranted product – Price $900 ÷ 10 years = $90 per annum
Solar bollard lights can still offer value due to their ease of installation (does not require a qualified electrical contractor), low maintenance, and other factors such as the environmental benefits.
Access to cheap power is one thing, but you need to connect the lights to it as well. Cost factors to keep in mind when connecting to grid power are, cost for a qualified electrical contractor, is there a distribution board already in place, or do you have to install one first so you can connect to the power source. Then you have the installation costs such as, trenching from the power source to the first light, and if installing multiple lights, trenching required between them to connect them all together. In areas where trenching is difficult or hard to get to, this could become very expensive. Then you need cabling from the power source to the first light and if multiple lights to each individual light. Then you have on going power charges and any maintenance will need to be carried out by a qualified electrical contractor.
Commercial grade solar bollard lights must be designed Fit-For-Purpose to survive the harshest of environments and extreme temperature fluctuations, whilst consistently delivering reliable lighting across a wide range of applications. Commercial-grade solar lights require five key design and manufacturing requirements to ensure a reliable and value-for-money lighting outcome is achieved.
1. The highest grade of componentry and raw materials has been used.
2. Manufactured in a country with ethical work practices under ISO9001 & ISO14001
3. Certifications (IP, IK, LM-79, etc) through accredited signatories of ILAC and APAC.
4.10-year warranty including the battery, pole/stem/post/mounting bracket
5. 4 nights of winter solstice battery backup (without daily solar input).
Solar bollard lights will last between 1 year to well over 10 years for a quality commercial-grade product. The product design and quality of components used are what differentiate the amount of time a solar bollard light will last.
Quality commercial-grade solar light manufacturers will warrant their product (which includes the battery, light pole, or mounting bracket) for the minimum amount of time they expect their solar light will continue operating reliably, which is at least 10 years.
Mass-produced residential-grade solar light manufacturers will warrant their product (“excluding” the battery, light pole, or mounting bracket) for the maximum amount of time they expect their solar light to operate between 1 and 5 years.
Commercial-grade solar bollard lights will have a 10-year warranty, which will include the battery and light pole or mounting bracket within the term.
Residential-grade solar bollard lights will have a 1-to-5-year warranty, and in most cases do not include the battery and light pole or mounting bracket.
Most solar bollard light batteries will need regular replacement, if they can be replaced. Always check the warranty T&C’s for battery coverage.
Quality commercial-grade solar bollard lights warranted the battery for 10 years, so do not need replacing.
Solar bollard lights offer numerous benefits, from life-cycle cost savings (up to 50%), ease of installation, less environmental impact, durability, and use in more locations to enhance public safety and liveability at night, which makes them a convenient and sustainable lighting solution.
How far apart a 1m (39′) solar bollard light should be spaced will depend on the
• the quality of the brand being used,
• the light distribution pattern (asymmetrical or symmetrical),
• the useable power of the light (how bright) for the location, will affect the spacing
• what it is being used to light up (e.g. pathway, driveway),
• if any lighting standards are required to be lighting compliant.
Typically, depending on the usable power for the actual location, spacing ranges from
• 4m (13′) to 12m (39′) apart for commercial pathway lighting
• up to 20m (65’) apart for wayfinding on leisure paths or trails
• for landscaping and gardens, it will be the actual ambience you want to create.
Fill out the inquiry form on our contact page with all required information, and the closest distributor to where you are located will contact you.
Email our headquarters or fill out the inquiry form on our contact page to discuss.
Yes, if designed with downward-facing optics to direct light where it’s needed effectively for lighting car parks, minor roads, footpaths and community spaces. Solar Bollard Lighting produce a large range of overhead solar lighting configurations that are suitable for these types of applications.
Solar bollard lights have a life cycle of between 1 year up to over 10 years for a quality commercial-grade product.
• Commercial-grade solar light manufacturers warrant their product for 10 years including the battery, light pole, or mounting bracket.
• Mass-produced solar light manufacturers warrant their product for 1 and 5 years, and in most cases exclude the battery, light mounting for the same term.
The dome top is our original design innovation first conceived back in 2004 to prevent
• direct impact to the solar panel,
• obstruction from collecting the sun’s energy, because birds cannot sit or nest on our lights, and leaves, dust, or dirt cannot gather.
• it also creates sunlight refraction due to its unique curvature to enhance the solar panels efficiency to recharge the battery daily.
Not all solar lights have the same environmental sustainability, even though many claim they are green and recyclable, they are not. This is called greenwashing.
• Most solar bollard lights have a short life cycle and create excessive e-waste, and why they are only warranted for 1 year up to 5 years at best.
• Quality commercial grade solar bollard lights have long life cycles and are 100% recyclable and warranted for at least 10 years and offer the best return on investment over their life cycle.
The SBL2 Series by Solar Bollard Lighting were custom designed to be capable of recharging on indirect sunlight profiles or full shade depending on the geographical location.
Mass-produced solar bollard lights only work in full direct sunlight locations, with an allowance in some locations for very small amounts of shading in the early morning or late afternoon only.
Yes, they can be fitted to posts, fences, walls, or the tops of flagpoles. Commercial-grade solar bollard lighting manufacturers can custom-make fixtures to suit many different mounting applications.
Most manufacturers claim their solar bollard lights are IK10 vandal resistant with some claiming even being vandal proof, but many of these products will not survive actual vandalism.
IK10 is the highest impact rating that a solar bollard light can be certified for but is it enough for vandal resistance and will that same solar bollard light withstand the full swing mechanical impact of a 3kg (6.6lbs) sledgehammer and sustain no damage like the SBL2 Series solar bollard light?
Yes, but only a robust solar bollard light that was specifically designed and engineered with IP68 and IK10 certification can withstand up to Cat 5 cyclones, hurricanes, and super typhoons due to impacts from flying or floating debris and complete submersion from the initial tidal surge inundation and ongoing flooding afterwards such as the proven SBL2 Series by Solar Bollard Lighting.
Most solar bollard lights don’t work when completely submerged under water as they fill with water and short out and fail; the only exception is the 2 series model range by Solar Bollard Lighting which is the world’s only proven IP68 submersible solar bollard light.
Solar bollard lights come in two types of configurations.
• stand-alone integrated all-in-one solar lighting systems are the most cost-effective option with little environmental impact.
• a slave configuration, where the solar panel, charge controller and battery are separately located on a pole away from the actual lighting with underground cabling trenched to one or more luminaires. This has a higher cost due to an additional pole and footings being required and cost per meter/foot for underground cable trenching to the location the actual lights. Has a higher environmental impact in comparison to stand alone systems.
With so many products on the market claiming to be commercial grade, consider the following when making your buying decision:
• First research and shortlist reputable brands known for producing high-quality commercial grade solar bollard lights.
• Where is the solar bollard light manufactured?
• How long have they been manufacturing commercial grade solar bollard lights and in business?
• Is the commercial warranty term 10 years and does it include the battery and pole? If not, why not?
• What are the exclusions from the warranty?
• Ask for a project location that has been installed for no less than five years, so you can visit to see them in real life?
You Get What You Pay For– so you won’t buy a quality solar bollard light cheap. If it is cheap compared to other similar commercial grade products with a warranty under 10 years, you know its inferior quality and not a fit-for-purpose commercial grade solar bollard light.
Solar Bollard Lighting design all their solar bollard lights to withstand mechanical impact from a 3kg/6.6Ibs sledgehammer at full swing. These products have been IK10 certified and proven to withstand impacts from floating debris in rapidly flowing floodwaters, and flying debris during cyclones, hurricanes and typhoons.
Yes! if the commercial-grade solar bollard light is designed with 4 full nights of battery backup without any solar power added in (Real Battery Autonomy), it will perform reliably at 100% illumination throughout prolonged periods of harsh weather, including monsoonal rain or seasonal snowfall.
This is not to be confused by solar bollard lights that are marketed with 3-4 rainy days autonomy, which in most cases is less than one day actual battery backup.
Yes, solar bollard lights utilise free renewable energy from the sun, are easy to install, which is better for the environment than conventional lights that often rely on energy generated from fossil fuels, so minimising greenhouse gas emissions, and trenching for cables to connect to the grid, which is detrimental to the environment
No, stand–alone solar bollard lights in public areas have become very popular because they are easy to install, have a low environmental impact as trenching for cabling is required, and use a free renewable power source, which helps to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and mitigate climate change.
Yes, using solar bollard lights can significantly reduce light pollution, especially those with asymmetric LED arrangements and downward-facing optics reduce the amount of upward light spill and are designed to direct light where it’s needed. Making solar bollard lights a more environmentally friendly lighting option.
Yes, solar bollard lights are powered by the sun, which is a naturally replenishing and free resource. They are powered by solar panels that convert sunlight into electricity that recharges a battery, which is then used to illuminate the lights.
Yes, solar bollard lights using white lighting have a blue light spectrum that can have a detrimental impact on wildlife behaviour. The solution is to use LED chips having a light spectrum exceeding 580nm (Amber) or 620nm (Red), or in some instances, LED chips with a colour temperature below 2250 Kelvin, which minimises blue-white light and adverse impacts on wildlife.
Not all solar lights have the same environmental sustainability. Even though many claim they are green and recyclable, they are not. This is called greenwashing. Most non-commercial grade solar bollard lights have a short life cycle and create excessive e-waste, and why they are only warranted for 1 year up to 5 years at best.
However, Solar Bollard Lighting manufactures solar bollard lights with long life cycles that are 100% recyclable. The 2 Series range of solar bollard lights comes with an industry-leading 10-year product warranty, which makes them a sustainable procurement asset that offers the best return on investment over their life cycle.
Most solar bollard lights have very limited recyclability due to the material and component quality used in manufacturing and which creates excessive e-waste. The only exception is solar bollard lights made by Solar Bollard Lighting, which are 100% recyclable.
Nothing, as the energy is provided by the sun, which is naturally replenishing and a free resource. That is why solar lighting is so cost-effective and reliable.
Solar bollard lights that are commercial grade in design are primarily used to light up pathways, sidewalks, footpaths, trails, driveways, access ways, parking lots, streets, recreation areas, docks, jetties, pontoons, stairways, pedestrian crossings, playgrounds, or to enhance the aesthetic appeal of outdoor spaces by highlighting architectural features, and landscaping.
Solar bollard lights enhance public safety and liveability at night and offer a cost-effective and sustainable lighting solution for areas with environmental restrictions or where it’s too cost prohibitive to run electrical wiring.
Many industries use solar bollard lights, including local, state and national governments, defence, mining, oil and gas industries, commercial infrastructure, residential construction, retirement living, sport, recreation, theme parks, hotels, resorts, schools, colleges and universities, places of worship, agriculture, and many more.
Most solar bollard light manufacturers use High Pressure Die Casting to make their poles, which can only produce thin wall sections and have a low strength, as it is the cheapest process and uses various types of mixed aluminium grades depending on where it is made, and what is cheapest to keep costs down. One of the main reasons is that most of these manufacturers do not warrant their poles.
Commercial-grade solar bollard light manufacturers use extruded aluminium poles, which is the most expensive process. It uses pure billets of 6000 Series grade aluminium because it is marine grade, has good welding properties, is high strength, has a high level of wear and tear robustness, and has high corrosion resistance. These poles will be included as part of their commercial-grade 10-year warranty with life expectancies that can exceed 25 years in situ
Solar bollard lights are bright enough for the types of applications for which they are intended, provided they are designed correctly. The actual location of installation and model design used will determine this. The lighting level or brightness of a luminaire (light fitting) is measured in lumens, lux, or foot candela. This is the total amount of light from the actual luminaire itself, not the LED module cluster.
Yes, this will ensure your solar bollard light stays in peak condition and is essential for ensuring longevity. A simple wash down and polish once a year in normal operating locations, and every six months in harsh environments will make a significant difference in the performance and life cycle of your solar bollard light while providing an eco-friendly and cost-effective solution.
Yes, graffiti can be removed from commercial-grade solar bollard lights if you follow an advanced cleaning process.
Yes, but most solar bollard lights are IK10 (impact) certified only and also need to be IP68 (submersible) certified to be capable of withstanding these types of environments. These solar bollard lights have been specifically engineered and come with a manufacturer (not resellers) 10-year warranty.
Yes, commercial grade solar bollard lights that were designed and built specifically to withstand harsh marine environments, will have IP68 submersible capabilities and use materials like marine-grade aluminium to resist corrosion from saltwater exposure, are ideally suited for installation on docks, jetties, boat ramps and pontoons. They are easy to install, and provide reliable and consistent lighting to enhance safety and visibility at night.
Lithium iron phosphate (LiFePO4) or lithium ferro phosphate (LFP) is a rechargeable cell/battery where lithium ions move from the negative electrode to the positive electrode during discharge and back when charging. LiFePO4 batteries will not catch fire or explode and are environmentally friendly.
A well-designed and built solar bollard light will run typically for 13 to 17 hours (sunset to sunrise) at 100% illumination from fully charged battery state and provide at 4 full nights of battery backup without any solar power added in (Real Battery Autonomy) minimum.
They are designed to reliably operate on the longest winter nights with allowances for shading from trees and buildings, and any seasonal snowfall or monsoonal periods. These solar lights are deemed fit-for-purpose.
Mass produced solar bollard lights designed to conserve battery storage and can expose the owner to possible liability risk utilising the following design types:
• Motion Sensing or PIR Sensing activates full power lighting levels from a dimmed lighting level after an initial preset period after sunset, but cannot account for the following factors accurately which could lead to battery over cycling and failure of lights
– calculating total full power lighting hours required for actual pedestrian traffic density at each installation site,
– solar bollard lights are typically installed up to 1.5m/59″ in height, so false full power triggering occurs from stray pets, rodents, branches blowing in the wind, vehicles passing close by, adding to unforeseen power draw
– motion sensors and PIR sensors have their own operational limitations
• Adaptive Smart Lighting Control automatically reduces power consumption to a level required for the system to continue operating, which in turn reduces the lighting level which can be below minimum compliant lighting levels as originally designed for.
Solar bollard lights are becoming increasingly popular due to their ease of installation, low environmental impact, and use of a free renewable power source for outdoor public spaces, residential and commercial locations, such as public parks and reserves, pedestrian pathways and trails, retirement villages, housing developments, resorts, theme parks, recreation and sporting parks, mining site worker accommodation camps, and boat ramps.
LEDs (light-emitting diodes) produce light by converting electrical energy into light from the movement of electrons in the diode. LEDs are 30-50% more efficient than conventional light sources.
Colour temperature is measured in Kelvin (K), a unit of absolute temperature. The measurement is based on the colour of light produced by a light source when heated to a certain temperature. Colour temperatures are defined as:
• Wildlife Friendly: >580nm (Amber) to620nm (Red)
• Extra Warm white: <2250K
• Warm white: 2700K-3000K
• Neutral white: 3500K – 4000K
• Cool white: >5000K
Solar bollard lights are made in various locations with manufacturers in Australia, Austria, Canada, Britain, and China.
The Australian manufacturer Solar Bollard Lighting designed and commercialised the world’s first integrated all-in-one solar light in 2004 which revolutionised the lighting industry, and for over two decades have continued to utilise sustainable innovation and manufacturing practices to design and produce their robust commercial grade solar lights that will withstand the harshest environments.
If the claims are not backed up by a 10-year warranty they are probably just marketing spin. Some basic examples of marketing spin by many solar bollard light manufacturers are,
(1) they claim their battery will last for 10 years, but only warrant it for 1-3 years,
(2) they claim their solar bollard light is “Vandal Proof”, spray paint it with graffiti, is it still vandal proof?
(3) they use high-end graphic component images, but the actual component looks nothing like the marketing image.
Commercial grade solar light manufacturers will make claims, then back them up with a robust 10-year warranty that will include the battery, pole/mounting bracket and only ever promote their products as vandal resistant.
To find out if a solar bollard light is truly Australian Made or Made in USA, you only need to ask these two questions, or search for “solar lights” on the Australian Made website.
• Where is the solar powered luminaire (the solar light) manufactured?
• Where is the bollard/pole/stem/post the solar light attaches to manufactured?
To be a genuine Australian-Made or Made in USA quality product, the solar powered lighting technology must have been manufactured or have undergone a major transformation in either Australia or the USA.
Just adding expensive poles that cost more than a solar light made in Asia, is not a major transformation as you can attach the solar light to a length of PVC pipe that costs $5.
Solar Bollard Lighting an Australian solar lighting design and manufacturing company has won 15 innovation, sustainability and business awards, and have been finalist in a further 10 awards.
The world’s first IK10 vandal-resistant solar bollard light was released by Solar Bollard Lighting in 2012.
The world’s first integrated all-in-one solar bollard light was designed in Australia by Mike Arieni in 2004 and released to the market in 2005 through Key Wholesalers Pty Ltd now trading as the Solar Bollard Lighting brand.
Key Wholesalers Pty Ltd has been designing, manufacturing and selling solar lighting since 2003. Solar Bollard Lighting became the trading brand name in 2013.
Customer Reviews
“We at the City of Hartford, Kentucky, USA are pleased to endorse Solar Bollard Lighting products. Two sets of bollard lighting have been acquired by the city to place beside a walking trail. These lights provide a dependable, safer experience for those walking after dark. The company has been very helpful, cooperative, and efficient in meeting our lighting needs. We anticipate future similar lighting project needs to be fulfilled by Solar Bollard Lighting.”
City of Hartford, Kentucky, USA 2019“In December 2018, Alexandra Beach Resort purchased fourteen SBL2 solar lighting bollards from Orca Solar Lighting, to add to our existing lighting around the pathway and extensive swimming pool at the resort. Many of the solar bollards are located in areas with significant shade at certain times of the year, Orca Solar Lighting came out and assessed the shading to ensure the correct power model and optimum locations were chosen. The result has been a reliable and dependable lighting outcome, with a light source that complements a resort type setting. We would be happy to recommend this product to other resort type properties.”
BreakFree Alexandra Beach, Queensland, Australia 2019“We are very happy with the bollards, they suit the required use and are going to be a great asset to us for a long time. The tenants that we have put in the adjacent houses (general practitioners) have not been shy in the past with airing any complaints they have but I haven’t heard one complaint regarding the light bollards. That to me is a great accomplishment!”
Testimonial by Town of Port Hedland of SBL210SW-1140IA“Thank you for your advice and assistance with the recent upgrade of a feature solar bollard lighting project in Blackall. I was impressed with the fast turn around and your knowledge of products that were best suited for the project. I will happily deal with your company with future projects and would recommend Solar Bollard Lighting to anyone seeking sound advice and great service.”
Blackall-Tambo Regional Council, Queensland, Australia 2018“The City of Duluth recently purchased and installed several Solar Bollards at our Vietnam Veterans Memorial Walk. Through this process the Solar Bollard Lighting team was very responsive to my questions and promptly alleviated any concerns. Our solar bollards have been installed for approximately six months and have operated as advertised. I look forward to utilizing these highly reliable products again in the near future. Thank you for your high-quality products and attention to detail.”
City of Duluth, Minnesota, USA 2018