I was just in New Jersey and noticed that in some communities that there are now solar panels that now produce energy for street lights attached to the utility poles. I was wondering if that is happening in other areas of the nation? Hey, it sounds like a great idea, even though the panels are ugly. Less money on electricity and much greener.
I've never noticed it for street lights, but have seen it often for flashing warning signs all over the US.
Also for lighting on overhead signs in some places. I-68 in western Maryland, for example.
MDOT is installing solar panels at the I-96/East Beltline interchange in Grand Rapids. The panels are covering part of the car pool lot adjacent to the interchange and feeding power into the grid to "spin the meter backwards".
- McMillin, Zane (January 25, 2012). "MDOT targeting carbon footprint with solar panels at East Beltline commuter lot (http://www.mlive.com/news/grand-rapids/index.ssf/2012/01/mdot_targeting_carbon_footprin.html)". The Grand Rapids Press
Oregon DOT has several "Solar Highway" projects that are interconnected with freeway lighting:
1. I-5/I-205 interchange near Tualatin. A large solar array is installed east of I-5 and in the median between the I-205 transition ramps to either southbound or northbound I-5. (Coordinates: 45°22'11.68"N 122°45'19.70"W)
2. A second array is planned at the former West Linn Rest Area site on I-205 about six miles east of the first location. This rest area was closed years ago due to ongoing criminal activity; and frankly it was redundant being in an urbanized area and the Wilsonville Rest Area was about 10 miles away. There was no northbound rest area, but there was (and still is) a viewpoint for northbound traffic but with no restroom facilities. Not yet constructed; approximate location 45°21'8.22"N, 122°37'39.96"W
3. At the Wilsonville Rest Area on I-5 is a new solar array. Not yet visible in Google Maps/Earth. (Coordinates: 45°16'11.31"N 122°46'19.46"W)
Post Merge: June 24, 2012, 02:52:31 PM
Also, TriMet (Portland's transit agency) has a large solar array in downtown Portland that generates power for streetlighting (but not power for the light rail trains) on the downtown Transit Mall:
Location: 45°30'29.90"N 122°41'1.38"W
Website: http://live.deckmonitoring.com/?id=tri_met_south_terminus
Quote from: sp_redelectric on June 23, 2012, 02:29:24 AM
Oregon DOT has several "Solar Highway" projects that are interconnected with freeway lighting:
1. I-5/I-205 interchange near Tualatin. A large solar panels (http://www.shinesolar.net) is installed east of I-5 and in the median between the I-205 transition ramps to either southbound or northbound I-5. (Coordinates: 45°22'11.68"N 122°45'19.70"W)
2. A second array is planned at the former West Linn Rest Area site on I-205 about six miles east of the first location. This rest area was closed years ago due to ongoing criminal activity; and frankly it was redundant being in an urbanized area and the Wilsonville Rest Area was about 10 miles away. There was no northbound rest area, but there was (and still is) a viewpoint for northbound traffic but with no restroom facilities. Not yet constructed; approximate location 45°21'8.22"N, 122°37'39.96"W
3. At the Wilsonville Rest Area on I-5 is a new solar array. Not yet visible in Google Maps/Earth. (Coordinates: 45°16'11.31"N 122°46'19.46"W)
Post Merge: June 24, 2012, 02:52:31 PM
Also, TriMet (Portland's transit agency) has a large solar array in downtown Portland that generates power for streetlighting (but not power for the light rail trains) on the downtown Transit Mall:
Location: 45°30'29.90"N 122°41'1.38"W
Website: http://live.deckmonitoring.com/?id=tri_met_south_terminus
These projects are really very effective..Streetlight power needs can easily be fulfilled by using solar power so it was great project.
Madison, WI has a growing number of strings of these along mixed-use paths. Some of the older ones are seen here along University Ave (https://www.google.com/maps/@43.073284,-89.432452,3a,75y,337.35h,84.39t/data=!3m4!1e1!3m2!1sPZCXsaSdbxPDDLi0zJDDlg!2e0).
WisDOT has a few solar installations for remote flashing beacon lights with STOP signs, like this one at Wis 60 and CTH P (https://www.google.com/maps/@43.325364,-88.458634,3a,75y,352.91h,92.83t/data=!3m4!1e1!3m2!1sG9FvCURqXeoPtMZgcbkNEQ!2e0).
We have them on select streets, but they are extremely dim.
A few years back the City of Cape Canaveral rebuilt a section of Ridgewood Avenue from it's northern terminus near the port southward towards Cocoa Beach and installed solar LED street lighting. They are not very bright.