Looking Away From The Grid To Power Future Lighting Solutions

A drawback to traditional grid-based lighting is that it’s expensive, requires extensive infrastructure, and is difficult to maintain over time.

As we begin to take stock of the amount of energy we need to power communities across the globe, sustainable design solutions are being developed to circumvent the electricity grid entirely, bringing low-cost, long-lasting lighting to everyone.

In a trend we are calling Sustaining Light, PSFK Labs has identified innovative designs that are using alternative sources of energy to power sustainable, low-cost lighting solutions, creating new opportunities for people living with limited resources. By exploring new methods for capturing and repurposing the resources at hand and making light accessible to everyone, these products showcase the power light has to improve people’s lives.

Urban Green Energy Inc. has installed 120 solar and wind-powered streetlights in Pingquan, north eastern China. Its first US installation took place in 2010 in San Francisco, with installations underway on four continents, including Asia, where the population and economic booms of the last twenty years have necessitated more energy use. China uses the highest volume of electricity after the United States and depends on coal for much of its energy, greatly increasing the need for alternatives. Instead of opting for costly traditional lights that would require burying wires in the ground and connecting to the grid, the city chose a more sustainable route. UGE’s Sanya lights are equipped with a wind turbine and two 280 watt solar panels, allowing them to function completely independent of the grid energy system.

Outdoor lighting is a growing category in the sustainable energy industry. Mateo Chaskel, VP of operations at UGE, explains, “One of the key markets [of development] is outdoor lighting, where the costs of wiring the electrical grid to a remote location can be prohibitive, and installing off-grid lights can lead to economic prosperity in the area and significant savings over traditional options, all while being a sustainable zero-emission option.”

Circumventing the traditional energy grid is the future of sustainable lighting, says Winka Dubbeldam, principal at Architectonics. “Whatever we can do to relieve the grid is incredibly important and it’s not going to be one solution. It’s not going to be only solar or only wind. I think at this point we just have to do all of it at the same time.”

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