Green Light for Transit: Urban Solar Steps in to Fill Need for Bus Shelter Lighting
Once in a while, when waiting for an evening bus in downtown Seattle, I realize I'm standing in a solar-powered bus shelter. And I wonder whatever happened to the enthusiasm of Carmanah Technologies Corp, the company that illuminated those shelters and was so gung-ho about solar transit lighting. (photo)
January 14, 2009
Carmanah is alive and well, but they got out of the solar transit lighting business in late 2007. That left an opening in the market, filled in the fall of 2008 by a startup called Urban Solar Corporation.
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Lighted bus shelters, like this Carmanah-powered example in Toronto, make public transit more attractive. Urban Solar Corp's PV-Shelter series of solar-powered LED lighting systems are designed specifically for transit applications. The company picked up this market where Carmanah left off. (Carmanah photo) |
"What separates Urban Solar is an exclusive and dedicated focus on one application," says Jeff Peters, the company's President and CEO. Peters and others on the Urban Solar team were with Carmanah in its i-SHELTER days.
Yes, there are similarities in components -- both use batteries, modules and low-power LED lights -- but Urban Solar has no business relationship with Carmanah, and has developed its own power management system. Urban focuses exclusively on solar lighting for street advertising and transit shelters, which often are combined.
Carmanah, meanwhile, continues to grow its portfolio with products designed mostly for commercial and industrial applications. Carmanah phased out home power and transit lighting to focus on larger, more profitable markets. It makes area lighting, runway markers, lighted buoys and several other lines. Some of their current products would work for bus shelters, but they aren't designed specifically for that purpose.
"Our move from low margin Home Power products and highly customized Transit products is a case of selective pruning and nurturing in order to grow and flourish," said Carmanah's Ted Lattimore when the company announced the decision. He joined the company as CEO the month prior to the announcement. "This step will allow the company to better focus its resources on providing industry-leading renewable energy technology throughout its core markets," he said.
"What Carmanah saw as unprofitable is, in fact, profitable," says Urban Solar's Jeff Peters. "Transportation has a large requirement and desire for solar lighting specifically for bus stops and zones."
"What Carmanah saw as unprofitable
is, in fact, profitable."
--Jeff Peters, President & CEO, Urban Solar.
Transit authorities consider solar's $1,500-$3,000 price tag in situations where the ROI makes it practical. By comparison, the cost and disruption of trenching to install power for new bus shelters can sometimes be five or ten times as much. Good lighting enhances rider convenience and safety, which helps people to be more comfortable leaving their cars at home.
Urban Solar already has a handful of installations, and several photos on its web site.
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Carmanah is TSX:CMH and OTC:CMHXF. Urban Solar Corporation is privately held.
UPDATED: Photo replaced.
Comments
Great idea, and I can see additional uses for solar lighting...what about street lights? They're always on at night in every neighborhood on every street. What about the lights that illuminate the "awful" billboards on I-95? What about bridges, overpasses, business parking lots, athletic fields, OMG...think of the possibilities. Somebody needs to jump on the solar bandwagon; imagine the costs that could be realized by every town, city and neighborhood in America. Now, that's impressive.
Posted by: beetle_juice | January 14, 2009 10:46 AM
Since this article was published, I am reading about lots more freestanding solar units being proposed.
Beetle_juice mentioned "Billboards". Probably the down side of innovation, now solar powered billboard can be anyplace, solar pollution!
Posted by: Home Solar Energy | September 9, 2009 11:25 PM