Solar power coming to a bus stop near you

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TfL project both cost effective and environmentally friendly

 

Solar technology that can light bus stops even through the British winter will soon be appearing on local streets in a project that will give London the biggest network of 'solar stops' in the world.

The new stops, being rolled-out across Ealing and Hounslow Boroughs at the end of October, will all be assembled in Britain and have been designed specially for London - they've been proven to work even in the UK's gloomiest weather conditions.

Ordinary bus stops have no lights at all, but the solar stops light up automatically at dusk, which trials showed helped to make passengers feel safer while they wait for their bus.

Solar stops are easily identified with their white lighting making it easier for bus drivers to see people waiting at bus stops.  The white light also provides downlighting for waiting passengers and timetables which light up at the press of a button.

Because the solar panels generate power wherever its needed, the stops are easy to set up anywhere - there's no need for a connection to the national grid - and they cost nothing to run.

Ivan Bennett, TfL Research and Development Manager, said "It's immensely satisfying to get leading-edge technology to work in such challenging real-life conditions.

"When we started looking at solar batteries that could cope with the British winter, they tended to be the size of a filing cabinet. We've now got a unit that can sit on top of an ordinary British bus stop and provide light all year round.  This is one of those projects that works well on so many levels: it's an environmentally-friendly improvement which is relatively cheap to build, costs no extra to run, and will make a big difference to passengers."

TfL's iniative has been welcomed by Friends of the Earth. Ealing Friends of the Earth’s energy and climate change campaigner Virginia Fassnidge said  “This is a positive step towards tackling global climate change on a local level and it sets a great example for what can be achieved elsewhere. While solar-lit bus stops are more expensive to install - £2,000 versus £1,100 – solar power is free, and the money and resources saved over time will far outweigh the initial expense."

She continued “Many people believe that because Britain’s weather is often cold and gloomy, particularly over winter, solar power is not a real alternative. TfL’s innovation clearly shows it can be. Solar power is clean and does not contribute to climate change, and unlike oil, gas and coal, it won’t run out. The more energy we can harness from renewable sources like the sun or wind, the fewer fossil fuels we will need to burn – leading to a reduction in the amount of climate-altering gases being released into the atmosphere.”

July 7, 2004