Designed to work in low levels of sunlight and using less energy than they generate, Danish company Scotia has developed the solar-powered streetlights “to demonstrate the feasibility of emissions-free lighting even at northern latitudes”.
The Scotia mast family integrates highly efficient solar cells into a single, slender form that can either be topped with a street lamp or used on its own to generate power. The mast is designed with excellent low-light behaviour and, contrary to intuition, performs best at northern latitudes. The masts generate between 80 and 400 kWh a year and are available in a range of heights between 4 and 10 metres.
According to Scotia, “an 8 metre mast situated in Copenhagen is estimated to save 170 kilogrammes of carbon dioxide a year, compared to a conventional street lamp”. The masts are fail-safe, do not rely on batteries or weather conditions, and cut maintenance costs by using stable long-lasting technology with no moving parts.
British light artist Steven Scott set up Copenhagen-based Scotia with private venture funds. The company focuses on developing urban and architectural lighting designed to help cities and businesses meet environmental targets. The idea grew out of an urban art project in 2006 and the Building Lab of Realdania supported the first product’s development. The Bella Center is Scotia’s first commercial project.
“This is exactly the right time to launch a sustainable and innovative lighting technology such as the Scotia Mast that helps public and private organisations meet their economic, ecological and social obligations, the so-called triple bottom line… The price/performance ratio of photovoltaics is improving very rapidly and the benefits of solar power are no longer limited by geography or climate,” said Heine Olsen, Scotia’s Managing Director.
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