Split type solar street lamps are the first generation form of solar lighting, with the core feature of photovoltaic panels, batteries, lamp heads, and controllers being independent of each other and connected by cables. With the iteration of photovoltaic, energy storage and light source technologies, their development can be roughly divided into 4 stages.
1. Sprout exploration period (1990s to 2005)
The separated solar street light is the earliest solution to be implemented, originally intending to solve the lighting problem in remote areas without electricity. The first core configuration is polycrystalline silicon photovoltaic panels, lead-acid batteries and low-voltage energy-saving lamps, with photovoltaic conversion efficiency of only 10%-13%. The batteries are big and have to be put underground so they are targets for theft and corrosion and they only last 3-4 hours. The first batch of pilot projects in China are focused in the western regions without electricity, such as Xizang and Qinghai. Around 2000 the annual output of the country was only several hundred thousand lamps, mainly for demonstration projects, without large-scale commercial use.
2. Initial commercial period (2006-2012)
The popularization has been accelerated by policy promotion and technological breakthroughs. The large-scale application of separated solar street lights around the venues of the 2008 Beijing Olympics has become a milestone in the industry. In this stage, LED light sources are replacing energy-saving lamps gradually and the luminous efficiency is improved to more than 100 lumens/watt. The controller integrates light control and time control functions, improving the stablility. The efficiency of the photovoltaic panels has been improved above 16% and the life span of the system has been improved above 5 years. The application scenarios have been extended from remote areas to new rural areas, parks and scenic areas. Since 2010, China’s annual production has reached millions of lamps, and the export market has gradually opened up.
3. Technology upgrade period (2013-2018)
The main breakthrough lies in energy storage and intelligence: lead-acid batteries are gradually being replaced by lithium iron phosphate batteries, reducing their volume by 70%, extending their lifespan to 3-5 years, and improving their low-temperature adaptability (working at -20 ℃). MPPT controllers have become popular and can increase charging efficiency by 30% . It can last for 5-7 days in rainy weather . The split design of split solar roadway lights is flexible and can be combined with high-power boards and batteries as needed, which is suitable for high-power scenarios such as municipal main roads and ports. After 2015, the industry entered a rapid development stage, and became the main product of rural lighting.
4. Coexistence period of diversity (2019 present)
Integrated street lights are gaining popularity but the split solar roadway light is still dominating the high-power and long-range market. Technology emphasizes efficient photovoltaics, intelligent IoT and long-life energy storage: the monocrystalline silicon photovoltaic efficiency is more than 22%, and the battery cycle life is more than 2000 times; added remote monitoring, human body sensing, AI dimming and other functions. Meanwhile, separation and integration are complementary. Separated solar street lights are suitable for complex working conditions and high-power requirements, while integration is suitable for miniaturization and easy installation scenarios. Split type solar street lamps are still the core category of outdoor lighting up to now, with mature technology and high cost-effectiveness, supporting the global upgrade of urban and rural green lighting.
TIANXIANG manufactures separated solar street lights with high quality photovoltaic modules and energy storage batteries. They are waterproof, weather proof, flexible to install and have long service life. We can accommodate different power and lighting requirements, and can do both engineering and wholesale orders of split type solar street lamps. We offer one-stop supply services and await your cooperation.
Post time: May-27-2026
