How is the thin-film solar collector physically attached to the pole? The solar collector is conformably attached to the surface of the pole by means of riveted retaining strips and a strong heat tolerant adhesive (an ethylene propylene copolymer adhesive-sealant with microbial inhibitor). Because the collector is conformably attached, it does not incur any additional wind loading onto the system. This is a decided advantage compared to flat panels that incur a high wind load (or snow load) and thus may not be suitable for many sites. It is virtually impossible for natural events to dislodge the collector, and is highly resistant to vandalism.
How often do you need to clean the solar film and with what? The covering for the solar collector is a durable ETFE (e.g. Tefzel®) high light-transmissive polymer. This polymer coating not only provides a durable physical shield for the collector’s solar cells, but also a durable chemical shield, protecting them from water, salt spray, etc. The manufacturer recommends cleaning the solar film with water and detergents when necessary. Due to the vertical design, water from rain actually cleans the film and in many cases will be all the maintenance that is required.
How can you determine the status of the batteries in the Inovus Solar® Off-Grid Pole? Inovus Solar has a proprietary battery management system, which include patent pending designs.
If one battery pack goes out, does the system shut down? Inovus’ proprietary battery and luminaire management system will keep the system running if a battery or cell fails. However, for optimal performance, the failed battery pack should be replaced.
Is there a recycle program for the batteries? This is coming soon.
How are you protecting the system from the weather, insects, animals and birds? Wind Loading Inovus Solar® products have industry leading wind load ratings. This not only protects against damage to the pole in high wind locations, but also protects against damage from flying debris from poles that have less than adequate wind load ratings. Protection of Poles Against Corrosion Inovus Solar® products use industry leading material to protect against corrosion and degradation. Poles use either climate tested high quality Al alloys that provide excellent strength and corrosion resistance, or proven galvanized steel. Both types of poles are then powder coated to provide an additional level of protection against the elements.
Marine grade wiring Marine climates offer some special challenges due to the salinity of the air. Inovus Solar, Inc. chooses to use marine-grade wiring for all applications as it is the most resistant to degradation over time.
Conformal coating The on-board computer is protected by a special coating that makes it water tight. This computer can take what nature throws at it – year after year. Luminaires All luminaires used on Inovus Solar® products are UL listed and approved for Wet Locations. LED luminaires used on Inovus Solar® products are tested per IES LM-80-08 and provide at least 50,000 hr L70 lumen maintenance. Inovus Solar® branded products provide better than 70,000 hrs L70 lumen maintenance. Insect, animal and bird proofing on all components Inovus Solar, Inc. uses accepted industry practices in sealing seams/openings to minimize the chance that insects, animals and birds do NOT interfere with the performance of the products nor affect their reliability.
Is there a security solution for the access door? We currently have security screws which require a proprietary tool to open the access door.
Can I get LEED credits for the Off-Grid and On-Grid Solar Light Poles? A project can add LEED credits for outdoor lighting. Points to look for are:
Are Inovus Solar® LED Luminaires Dark Sky certified? Yes. IDA approved Dark Sky Friendly versions of Inovus Solar® luminaires are available. Please contact Inovus Solar, Inc. for details.
Are Inovus Solar® products Energy Star certified? The DOE is still defining the requirements for Energy Star certification for Street and Parking Lot LED luminaires. Inovus Solar, Inc. is closely following those developments to ensure that we will qualify when those requirements are formally established.
What testing labs have certified the quality and distribution of light? Inovus Solar uses only third party independent test labs that have been approved by the US Dept of Energy to test the Inovus Solar® LED Luminaires and generate the resultant IES files.
Do you offer financing or have recommended financing partners? Contact your sales support specialist for the latest offerings. What is the system warranty for Inovus Solar® products? The standard warranty for Inovus Solar® products is five (5) years. Specific products or components may have longer or shorter warranties. Contact Inovus Solar, Inc. for warranty details.
How does the Inovus Solar® Off-Grid solar lighting system work? The overall system consists of an LED based luminaire control board, a charge controller, a solar collector panel, a battery subsystem (composed of several batteries, a battery enclosure and wiring harnesses), three motion sensors, and the pole assembly. The solar collector captures light during daytime hours and passes it onto the charge controller. The charge controller manages the power from the solar collector to optimize the power to be stored in the batteries. The batteries hold stored electrical energy and release it to power the LED Luminaire and other system electronics. Various modes of energy release are determined and managed by the Control board. The Control board uses input from the solar collector to determine when to turn the luminaire on (and off at dawn), and uses energy saving algorithms to manage energy to the luminaire. These algorithms take into account the charged state of the battery subsystem, the solar collector output, the state of the motions sensors, and the anticipated time before dawn. Certain variables that determine the degree of power management can be user selected.
How autonomous is the Inovus Solar® Off-Grid system (how many days without direct sunlight, will the system operate)? System performance is highly dependent on location and weather conditions. We have consistently measured 6-9 days of autonomy in locations around the United States. Supporting Facts:
How many hours of sunlight does it take to charge the system? The answer is dependent upon the current state of the battery (level of charge), the intensity of sunlight on the solar panel, and the amount of time that there is sunshine.
What angles of sunlight charge the system? The solar collector wrap around the pole allows all angles of sunlight to be collected throughout the day.
How shade tolerant is the system? The thin film solar collector is highly shade tolerant, both as far as individual cells within the collector and the collector as a whole. Generally, a solar collector is comprised of multiple solar cells. If solar cells are connected in a series, a shaded cell within the collector can begin to consume current, as opposed to create current. This not only degrades the overall performance of the collector, but can create hot spots in the collector that can be damaging to the collector. The solar collectors used by Inovus Solar, Inc. have bypass diodes that prevent shaded portions of the collector from consuming current. This preserves the performance of the collector and prevents the buildup of hot spots.
Is thin film efficient at converting sunlight on cloudy days? The thin film material that forms the active photovoltaic component in the Inovus Solar® On and Off Grid products is more effective at converting sunlight on cloudy days than traditional flat paneled solutions. Daylight is composed of direct sunlight and diffuse or scattered sunlight. During cloudy days, almost all the light that reaches the collector is diffuse sunlight. The thin film collector employed on Inovus Solar® products converts this diffuse sunlight into usable energy nearly 20% better than crystalline or polycrystalline Si collectors.
What temperature ranges does your battery system support? AGM Batteries Charge -4F (-20C) to 122F (50C) Discharge -40F (-40C) to 140F (60C) LFP Batteries Charge -40F (-40C) to 185F (85C) Discharge -40F (-40C) to 185F (85C)
