Performance Analysis of Solar Panel as a Public Street Lighting Energy Source

Abstract

he use of sunlight as an energy source has been widely used. This condition is strongly related to the potential of sunlight in Indonesia, which is available throughout the year. Kalurahan Sidoharjo is one of the areas in Kulon Progo Regency with a significant potential source of sunlight. However, street lighting conditions in this region are still low and need some improvements. Solar-based Public Street Lighting (PJUTS) is one application of utilizing sunlight for street lighting. PJUTS is very suitable because the energy conversion from sunlight into electrical energy is still low. In this study, observations were conducted on the ability of solar panels and load consumption at PJUTS. Then, the observation data was used to analyze the sustainability. Observations were done by recording the power absorbed by solar panels using a controller and Solar Station software. The observations found that the solar panels can capture an average solar capacity of 146.14 Wh, while the use of lights at night consumes about 120 Wh. From this observation, the sunlight energy source in Kalurahan Sidoharjo is high enough to meet the public roads' lighting needs.