CStar touts benefits of solar streetlights

Going solar? Start with street panels and take it from there, says Nabil Hamade.

Solar-powered streetlights offer the biggest potential for solar technology to become common and accepted in the Middle East, according to CStar International CEO Nabil Hamade.

“When you get into solar, your upfront costs are very high. If you want to develop a brand new solar-power generation facility for air-con, for example, it is costly. With solar lighting, on the other hand, you do not have to run wires, and conduits or trenches are eliminated. It simply comprises a streetlight mast with a battery and a solar panel. It is totally independent, and you can put it anywhere, whether in streets or even in gardens,” he said.

“We have calculated a two-year payback period, with a 50% return-on-investment – compared to solar-power generation itself, which typically has a 20-year payback. So, in order to benefit the diverse communities here and meet the new sustainability objectives of the government, we think this is the way to go.”

In terms of the streetlights themselves, Hamade explained that the company offers LED, metal halide and low-pressure sodium types.

“We focus on LED as this represents the latest technology and offers the best cost-savings. The output from a 28 W LED light is equivalent to a standard 150 W light. Therefore, you do not need a big battery either, which has an added cost benefit in terms of ancillary infrastructure.”

All the company’s products are imported from China at present.

“We have not considered local manufacture right now, as I do not think the market is big enough to sustain this. We are considering possible manufacture of additional components in the future,” Hamade said.

“Masdar City in Abu Dhabi is already looking into local manufacture, which could possibly flood the market and result in an oversupply of products, unless it can tap into another consumer base.”

Hamade adds that service support and back-up are as important as the technology itself.

“We offer a ten-year warranty on solar panels and a three-year warranty on batteries. We also stock replacement components – batteries, lights or whatever may be needed.

“Of course, with big users we are able to offer maintenance contracts, including annual check-ups, replacement and predictive maintenance if required, such as cleaning the panels.”

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