solar powered common body corporate lights

[abbyfresh]

I am helping out my body corporate on a block of 4 x 2 bedder single storey villas in Melbourne.

Currently there is a common electricity meter and maybe one or two common driveway lights being used. The yearly electricity bill is $800-$1000 - don't have the exact figure but it is heck of a lot which could be eliminated for all owners.

Has anyone used solar powered common lights in this scenario that charge up during day and power at night. To date the technology hasn't been too good as they like dim out by 10pm.

 

[Scott No Mates]

Common area power

Are the lights the only things on the common power? Any external power points for cleaning? Common area HWS (cleaner)? etc which may be put on off-peak or a timer?

Is it simply worth considering changing the lights for something more energy efficient? eg: compact fluoro or LED without the expense of a solar system?

 

[chilliblue]

Have you priced up changing the lights to LED's?

 

[abbyfresh]

Actually the current bill is $500 for 12 months, and that is with the light busted - currently hasn't been working for a while. People don't report these things.

Nothing else requires common power. It seems one stick light at front only.

Energy efficient globe is one option, but it is still a big bill for one light, and seems to be overkill.

We have been quoted to put in one of these:

http://www.solarbollardlighting.com/solarbollard.html

Seems pretty rock steady.

 

[Morbius]

$500/year is still about 3-400 watts if the light burns only at night-time? That's quite a light.

Replacing it with 40W of LEDs will get it down to about $40/year. That's quite a few years before you have paid for a solar bollard.

 

[Rolf Latham]

Idgo with the LED idea

solar is fine............... but costs a bomb to do properly.


We arent talking a 6 pack of bunnings path lights at 20 bucks

ta

rol

 

[MichaelGilbert]

Great link abbyfresh. I had to laugh at the video with the guy trying to break it. Does seem very rock solid. I like it.

What's the sort of cost to install one of those?

 

[The Y-man]

It seems one stick light at front only.

$500/year is still about 3-400 watts if the light burns only at night-time? That's quite a light.

Agree with Morbius - I think it is near impossible to burn that sort of power with a single light? Are you sure one of the units hasn't "tapped" into it, or it powers some other stuff? Maybe kill the breaker on the common circuit and see what stops....

The Y-man