Solar Parking Lot Lights Case Study — Installation With Video

Quick Answer

Solar parking lot lights can reduce or avoid trenching and fixture-level grid power where the solar array, DC LED fixture, battery backup, controller, pole placement, and sun exposure are matched to the site. The Everan Series is specified at 160 lumens per watt at 5000K with an IP66 rating, and its battery-backup performance depends on sun exposure, battery condition, weather, dimming profile, and season. Motion sensors can run lights at a lower baseline and step up to full output when triggered, preserving energy while improving light levels under the fixture.

Solar Parking Lot Lights Install - Before & After - Everan Solar Street Lights - Aerial Drone Shot

Our Lady of Fatima Church is an amazing Catholic Church perched up on the hills overlooking busy Interstate 5 and the city of San Clemente. Founded in 1946, this religious establishment has gone through a series of makeovers to keep up with modern trends. While many efforts have been put on the structural wellbeing of the church buildings, not much had been done with the lighting system. The lighting systems on the rear and parking lot were stuck with the old metal halides, limiting visibility and creating dark spaces. This is where we came in.

The parking lot had 8 pole lights with 250-watt metal halides while 6 building lights also used the same traditional lighting fixtures. In the back, there was a dark area by the school entrance with no lighting at all. On the 8 pole lights and four of the building lights, we recommended 150-watt NextGen 3 lights with motion sensor. For the other two building lights, we installed 300-watt lights without motion sensor as they are higher up and further away. As such, more light was needed, and the motion sensor would have been too far. For the back, which was the darkest, we added 2 Everan solar lights to improve illumination without trenching new grid power to that area.

Key Takeaway: The project replaced 8 pole-mounted 250W metal halides and 6 building lights with LED fixtures (150W NextGen 3 with motion sensor and 300W without) plus 2 Everan solar lights in the previously unlit rear area — improving dark areas without trenching new power lines.

LED solar street lights can illuminate a street, roadway, parking lot, or highway where trenching traditional grid power is costly or impractical. As such, these lights lower installation costs, reduce the need for extensive wiring and reduce maintenance and project costs over the system life. Each solar lighting system consists of a solar power array, DC light fixture, battery backup, fixture bracket, controller and a pole. The entire system exists on one pole with the power source at the top of the pole facing south and the light fixture below. The lighting fixture faces the direction needed to provide the light in the correct area. Our Everan Series LED solar street light fixture generates 160 lumens per watt, runs at 12 volts, a higher system voltage than many small solar lights, has bright 5000K white color and has IP66 outdoor rating with black and waterproof paint.

See the Photostudy we did for the church parking lot here

Solar Parking Lot Lights Install - Before & after - Everan Solar Street Lights - Aerial Drone Shot

Solar Parking Lot Lights Install - Before & after - Everan Solar Street Lights - Aerial Drone Shot.

Video Chapters Description.

The video footage shows the before and the after- solar parking lot lights install-with our Everan Solar Street Lights. 0:00 is the start and opening of the footage and at 0:14, the footage shows the intro with very dark spaces before the installation. At 1:44, the footage shows the daytime lights installed and at 3:43, it shows the nighttime new solar lights installed. At 5:19, the footage shows the wrap up with the overview of our Everan series solar LED lights.

After Installation

The image below shows the appearance of the previously dark areas at night, after the installation with our Everan Solar Street lights. Battery backup performance depends on charge level, sun exposure, weather, runtime, and dimming settings.

A snapshot of the actual installation process of the Everan Solar lights on the rear area by our expert technician:

Below, the image shows the illumination on the back by the Everan Solar Street lights where the power grid is not available. Directly under the lighting fixture, illumination can reach up to 100 lux (about 9.3 footcandles) with the motion trigger, depending on installation and battery condition. The lights run at 30% at night without motion trigger which provides visibility and illumination at night while preserving energy.

solar parking lot lights illuminating rear area

solar parking lot lights installed at night with pole-mounted panels

solar parking lot light daytime pole installation

For dark areas without practical access to the power grid, the Everan LED solar street light can be a good fit when the site has enough sun exposure, battery autonomy, and pole placement for the target light level. Because the fixture runs from DC power generated by the solar system, it does not need a standard AC adapter. Dimming and motion-sensor modes can reduce overnight load, preserve battery capacity, and reserve higher output for times when activity is detected.

Key Results from This Solar LED Installation

No fixture-level utility connection — solar-powered fixtures avoided monthly electricity bills for this parking area lighting load
Planned maintenance — LED and solar components reduce routine lamp work, but batteries, panels, controls, and hardware still need periodic inspection
Quick installation — no trenching or electrical wiring required, reducing installation time
Cloudy-weather support — battery backup supports illumination through cloudy periods when the system is sized for local sun hours and runtime
Environmental benefit — reduced grid demand by generating fixture power from on-site solar energy

Frequently Asked Questions

How do solar parking lot lights work without grid power?

Each solar lighting system consists of a solar power array, DC light fixture, battery backup, fixture bracket, controller and a pole. The entire system exists on one pole with the power source at the top of the pole facing south and the light fixture below. The lighting fixture faces the direction needed to provide the light in the correct area. Battery backup performance depends on charge level, sun exposure, weather, runtime, and dimming settings.

What are the specs of the Everan solar street light?

Our Everan Series LED solar street light fixture generates 160 lumens per watt, runs at 12 volts, a higher system voltage than many small solar lights, has bright 5000K white color and has IP66 outdoor rating with black and waterproof paint. Directly under the lighting fixture, illumination can reach up to 100 lux (about 9.3 footcandles) with the motion trigger, depending on installation and battery condition.

How do the motion sensors save energy on solar lights?

The lights run at 30% at night without motion trigger which provides visibility and illumination at night while preserving energy. The dimming option and the motion sensor features mean they do not have to run all night at full strength which reduces baseline energy demand and reserves more battery capacity for higher-output operation when motion is detected.

About the Author

Dara Greaney

Dara Greaney is the President and founder of LED Light Expert. With over a decade of hands-on experience in commercial and industrial LED lighting, Dara has helped businesses across the country reduce energy costs and improve illumination through solar and grid-powered LED solutions.

Editing by David Peguero.