Street lights powered by the sun |30 July 2013

The Seychelles Land Transport Agency (SLTA) started the solar photovoltaic street light project in May and said it is well underway with lights shining bright at night at the Stad Popiler car park, areas of Roche Caïman, Pointe Larue and La Retraite.

A donation from the People’s Republic of China, the 200 state-of-the-art street lights will be installed on Mahé, Praslin and La Digue. 
“They look just like normal street lights,” said SLTA chief executive Parinda Herath. “Except that at the top you will see an installed photovoltaic unit, or solar panel, which collects energy from the sun and powers up the light in a very clean and efficient manner,” he added.

So far, 25 of these special street lights have been installed on Mahé where every district will be covered. Another 40 will be installed on La Digue and Praslin.

Mr Herath has thanked the general public for their interest in this project and said that “the agency is pleased to take part in an approach that adds safety and security to Seychellois communities by using clean energy from the sun which shines on our beautiful islands to brighten our nights”.

Solar street lights are raised light sources which are powered by photovoltaic panels generally mounted on the lighting structure. The photovoltaic panels charge a rechargeable battery, which powers a fluorescent or LED lamp during the night.

Most solar panels turn on and turn off automatically by sensing outdoor light using a light source. Solar street lights are designed to work throughout the night. Many can stay lit for more than one night if the sun is not available for a couple of days.