Sol Lighting Hits Major Milestone, Solidifies Leadership Position in Solar Outdoor Lighting

PALM CITY, Fla., Nov. 5, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Sol Lighting Inc., a global leader in commercial outdoor LED lighting solutions powered by solar energy and the market leader in North America, today announced that it has reached a major sales milestone, having installed 10 megawatts (MW) of solar outdoor commercial lighting worldwide. Already a champion of the solar outdoor lighting sector, Sol Lighting's significant achievement reflects the company's steady growth since it innovated the category more than two decades ago.

Today, Sol Lighting's blue-chip customer base includes domestic and international governmental agencies, the U.S. Department of Defense, transit authorities, state and local governments and commercial customers. Since the company's first solar light in 1990, which included 40 watts of solar panels, its installations have grown to a total of more than 10 MW of solar capacity, representing 60,000 solar lighting systems located in 60 countries on six continents. To put this milestone in context:

• 60,000 systems would illuminate a road stretching from Washington, D.C., to San Francisco, Calif., with the solar lights spaced 250 feet apart;
• 10 MW equates to more than 840,000 square feet of solar panels; spaced 65-feet apart, the solar lights would illuminate a nine square-mile parking lot;     
• The systems would save 10 million kilowatt-hours of traditional electricity per year if they were to run for 12 hours per night. 

"The $11 billion-plus commercial outdoor lighting market is experiencing a solar and LED renaissance," said Dibs Tailor, president and CEO of Sol Lighting. "This 10 megawatt milestone confirms our leadership in this space and is a testament to our superior design, manufacturing and technology capabilities. By carefully integrating cutting-edge photovoltaic, LED, and battery storage technologies into high-quality outdoor lighting products, we have made solar lighting very cost-effective and even more reliable."

The global demand for highly efficient LED lighting and solar products has fueled Sol Lighting's expansion in terms of markets, number of customers and revenues. Sol Lighting's systems are most suited for situations in which there is no grid infrastructure, or in which there is a reluctance to disturb existing paving or established landscaping. The major applications for Sol Lighting's systems, including its popular 20/20™ and 10/10™ Series, are for roadways, parking lots and paths and trails.

Other applications include perimeter security, campuses, military bases, playgrounds, storage areas and ad lights or monument signs. Sol Lighting's systems are also employed in remote locations, for temporary lighting and for disaster relief.

Some of Sol Lighting's notable recent projects include:

• Hidalgo County, Tex. – Sol Lighting designed and manufactured solar lighting systems for Hidalgo County, Tex., situated near the U.S.-Mexican border with little to no lighting infrastructure. This project helped the city improve safety; avoid monthly energy bills and its reliance on the electrical grid; and helped fulfill sustainability goals.
• Los Angeles County Arboretum – Sol Lighting designed and manufactured solar lighting systems for the 127-acre L.A. County Arboretum to improve security in the parking lot and to enliven the grounds during the evening hours. Most importantly, the county could not install grid-tied lights because it had to preserve the delicate root systems of the Arboretum's trees, and Sol Lighting's solar lights – which required no underground wiring or trenching – were an ideal solution.
• Top Gun Flight School (Fallon Naval Air Station) – Sol Lighting designed and manufactured 38 lighting systems at the U.S. Naval Air Station in Fallon, Nev., providing enhanced night operations at aircraft fuel stations and increased security at power sub-stations. 

Another benefit of solar commercial outdoor lighting is that it is one of the only alternative energy products that frequently has a zero-day payback, as solar lighting eliminates the cost of wiring, trenching and other electrical and utility costs. Additionally, there is never an electric bill, which leads to reductions in long-term operations costs over the 30-year plus lifespan of a system.

"Each of our solar outdoor lighting systems showcases the benefits of a clean, renewable and cost-effective source of power," said Tailor. "The market for solar outdoor commercial lighting is growing rapidly as more and more businesses and organizations seek to reap the benefits of reduced operations and maintenance costs, and environmental stewardship."

Sol Lighting's standalone systems provide bright, crisp high quality light that works all year long, including during the longest nights and periods with the lowest levels of solar irradiance. Sol's lighting solutions are integrated and customized – all components are designed to work with one another and are tailored to meet customers' needs while keeping esthetics at the forefront.  Sol Lighting has the flexibility to provide off-grid and grid-tied systems, or a combination.

About Sol Lighting Inc.
Sol Lighting is a world leader in commercial outdoor LED lighting solutions powered by solar energy and the market leader in North America, and over the past two decades has installed more than 60,000 systems in more than 60 countries on six continents. Sol Lighting has provided reliable, cost-effective, customized and esthetically pleasing solar lighting solutions for a wide range of lighting applications including roadways, parking lots, paths and trails, perimeter security, campuses, military bases, storage areas and for ad lights or monument signs. Sol's lighting solutions are less expensive than grid-tied lighting for many applications because they eliminate the cost of wiring, trenching and other electrical and utility costs. In many cases, payback can be achieved immediately. For more information, please visit www.solarlighting.com.

SOURCE Sol Lighting Inc.