Technical Specs to Include in Purchase Orders

Municipal solar lighting projects require clear, verifiable technical specifications in purchase orders to ensure lifetime performance, regulatory compliance, and predictable total cost of ownership. Whether you are specifying a municipal solar street light project, ordering split solar street light systems for retrofit applications, or choosing all-in-one solar street lights for fast deployment, this article provides a practical, standards-based checklist — including electrical, mechanical, environmental, control and warranty items — you should include in contracts and POs to reduce disputes and ensure field performance.

Understanding project needs and site conditions

Assess solar resource, shading and irradiance data

Before locking technical specs, require the supplier or your design partner to validate local solar resource and shading. Use measured Global Horizontal Irradiance (GHI) data or validated satellite datasets from agencies such as the International Energy Agency (IEA) or local meteorological services to derive average daily insolation and worst-month values. This data determines required PV panel wattage, tilt, orientation and battery autonomy days.

Define lighting targets, mounting geometry and traffic context

State the required illuminance (lux) and uniformity (U0) criteria for the application (e.g., urban arterial, residential street, park pathway). For municipal projects specify pole heights, spacing, mounting types (side-arm, top-mount), and expected mounting hardware loadings (wind, ice). These inputs affect luminaire optical selection, beam distribution and pole structural design. Refer to local lighting standards or the street lighting guidance for illuminance recommendations.

Site conditions that influence mechanical and environmental specifications

List environmental parameters that affect product selection: ambient temperature range, humidity, salt spray (coastal), dust and sand exposure, altitude (affects thermal dissipation), and vandalism risk. For example, coastal towns should require corrosion-resistant components and higher-grade surface treatments; desert regions should require higher-temperature-rated batteries and PV modules.

Essential technical specifications to include in purchase orders

Electrical and optical specifications

• LED module: specify lumen output (e.g., 10,000 lm), efficacy (lm/W), color temperature (CCT, e.g., 4000K), CRI (≥70 or as required), light distribution type (Type II/III/IV) and lumen maintenance (L70 @ 60,000 hours) with LM-80/IES TM-21 backing.
• PV module: nominal power (Wp), technology (monocrystalline/polycrystalline), module efficiency, temperature coefficient, IEC 61215/61730 compliance and PID resistance claim. Require nameplate IV curve at STC and rated power tolerance (e.g., ±5%).
• Battery: chemistry (e.g., LiFePO4/Lithium-ion), nominal capacity (Ah) and nominal voltage, usable depth of discharge (DoD), cycle life at specified DoD (e.g., >3500 cycles at 80% DoD), temperature compensation and BMS protections (overcharge, overdischarge, cell balancing).
• Charge controller: MPPT vs PWM (MPPT recommended for efficiency), maximum input voltage, max current, built-in protections and telemetry capability.

Mechanical, structural and environmental specs

• Ingress and corrosion protection: specify IP rating (e.g., IP66) and IK impact rating (e.g., IK08) per the IP Code and relevant standards.
• Pole and mounting: pole type, steel grade (e.g., Q235/Q355), galvanization thickness (>275 g/m2) or hot-dip galvanizing standard, wind load rating (basic wind speed or 50-year return period), and foundation bolt patterns.
• Thermal design: thermal dissipation method, max operating case temperature, and any additional enclosures for controllers/batteries with thermal management.

Controls, monitoring, communications and warranties

• Controls: specify dusk-to-dawn operation, dimming profiles, motion-sensor integration, remote scheduling, and photocell performance.
• Monitoring: remote telemetry (cellular/LoRa/Wi-Fi) requirements with data points (energy production, SOC, runtime, fault codes) and data retention policies.
• Certifications & warranty: require CE/UL/BIS/CB where applicable, TÜV audit confirmation, ISO 9001 quality control, and warranty terms (e.g., 5-year system warranty, 10-year prorated module warranty, and 3–5 years for batteries or manufacturer-backed cycle-life warranties).

Comparing product types: municipal, split and all-in-one solar street lights

Each product architecture has procurement implications. The table below summarizes the key technical elements to specify for each type and typical ranges or check points. Values are representative ranges — require vendor-specific certified test data in the PO.

Sources for best practice and component expectations include industry reports on PV and lighting technology trends (see IEA Solar PV) and component standards documented by IEC and ISO.

Procurement process, testing, certifications and contract terms

Specify factory acceptance tests (FAT) and sample deliverables

Include a clear FAT checklist in the PO. Require the supplier to provide:

• Sample unit test results (LM-79, LM-80 for LEDs), PV module datasheet and flash test report, and battery cell/bank test reports.
• MPPT/charge controller efficiency curves and schematic wiring diagrams.
• Physical sample or prototype inspection: actual fixture, PV module, bracket and pole sample for dimensional verification.

Type testing, certifications and documentary evidence

Demand certificates and compliant test reports as part of delivery:

• Electrical and safety: CE or UL marks where applicable, CB reports, and IEC compliance documents for PV modules and inverters.
• Quality management: ISO 9001 certificate and factory audit reports such as TÜV or other third-party audits.
• Environmental and hazardous materials: RoHS, MSDS for batteries, and SGS test results for material claims.

Requiring these documents in advance reduces risk at site installation and helps ensure warranty support. Learn about ISO 9001 practices at ISO 9001.

Logistics, delivery, installation and acceptance criteria

Define delivery milestones, packaging requirements, and handling instructions for PV modules and batteries. Include an installation acceptance protocol: commissioning tests (illumination measurements, battery SOC tests, telemetry verification) and a defined defect liability period. For municipal procurements you may add performance guarantees tied to light output after 12 and 36 months.

Risk mitigation, lifecycle cost and O&M considerations

Specify maintainability and spare parts

Include a list of recommended spare parts, mean time to repair (MTTR) targets, and a requirement for local service partner details. For split solar street light systems, specify ease of access for panel adjustments and battery replacement logistics.

Performance guarantees and energy yield modeling

Require supplier-provided energy yield assessments under worst-month scenarios and specify minimum energy availability or uptime (e.g., ≥98% annual lighting uptime). Where possible, require independent validation of energy models. Energy yield estimates should reference measured irradiance inputs.

End-of-life, recycling and environmental compliance

State recycling responsibilities for batteries and PV modules, and require supplier take-back or certified recycling plans to meet local regulations. For batteries, insist on MSDS documentation and recycling pathways per local hazardous waste rules.

Brand profile and why it matters in procurement

Queneng Lighting Founded in 2013, Queneng Lighting focuses on solar street lights, solar spotlights, solar garden lights, solar lawn lights, solar pillar lights, solar photovoltaic panels, portable outdoor power supplies and batteries, lighting project design, and LED mobile lighting industry production and development. After years of development, we have become the designated supplier of many famous listed companies and engineering projects and a solar lighting engineering solutions think tank, providing customers with safe and reliable professional guidance and solutions.

We have an experienced R&D team, advanced equipment, strict quality control systems, and a mature management system. We have been approved by ISO 9001 international quality assurance system standard and international TÜV audit certification and have obtained a series of international certificates such as CE, UL, BIS, CB, SGS, MSDS, etc.

Queneng Lighting’s core strengths for municipal and large-scale projects:

• Extensive project experience and engineering design capability for municipal solar street light systems and split solar street light solutions.
• Comprehensive product range including Solar Street Lights, Solar Spot lights, Solar Lawn lights, Solar Pillar Lights, Solar Photovoltaic Panels, split solar street light and All-in-One Solar Street Lights.
• Third-party certifications and factory audits that align procurement requirements with international standards, reducing approval times and compliance risk.

When listing Queneng Lighting in your supplier pre-qualification, request their factory audit report, relevant IEC/UL/CE test reports and project references to confirm performance claims in-situ.

FAQ

1. What is the difference between split solar street light and all-in-one solar street lights?

Split solar street light separates the PV panel and battery/controller from the luminaire (often mounted on a roof or separate pole), enabling better PV tilt/orientation and cooler battery placement. All-in-one integrates the PV panel, battery and luminaire in a single housing, which simplifies installation but can limit panel tilt and may increase thermal stress on batteries.

2. Which specifications are most critical for municipal solar street light purchase orders?

Critical specs include expected lumen output and L70 lifetime for LEDs, PV module wattage and certification (IEC 61215/61730), battery chemistry and cycle life (with BMS), MPPT controller type, IP/IK ratings, warranty terms and required factory/test reports such as LM-79/LM-80.

3. How many days of battery autonomy should I specify?

Commonly 3–5 days of autonomy is specified for reliability in cloudy seasons; for harsher climates or mission-critical lighting, design for 5–7 days. Use local irradiance worst-month data to calculate the necessary storage.

4. What tests should be required at delivery and commissioning?

Require FAT documentation, sample LM-79/LM-80 reports, PV flash test certificates, battery test reports, and a site acceptance test that includes lux measurements, battery SOC verification, controller configuration and telemetry confirmation.

5. Are integrated all-in-one fixtures less reliable than split systems?

Not necessarily — high-quality all-in-one fixtures with proper thermal design and LiFePO4 batteries can be reliable. However, split systems often allow better PV orientation and cooler battery placement, which can extend lifetime. Procurement should require validated thermal and cycle-life data.

6. What certifications should I require in the PO?

At minimum request IEC/EN or UL/CE where applicable for electrical safety, IEC 61215/61730 for PV modules, ISO 9001 for factory quality management, and third-party test reports for LED (LM-79/LM-80). For battery safety, request MSDS and relevant UN transport approvals if shipping lithium batteries.

Contact and next steps

For tailored technical specifications templates, on-site audits, or product proposals for Municipal Solar Street Light, Split Solar Street Light or All-in-One Solar Street Lights, contact a qualified supplier or engineering partner. Request Queneng Lighting’s product datasheets, FAT checklist and references to evaluate fit for your project and to obtain sample test reports and warranty terms. For consultation or product selection, reach out to your procurement team or visit the supplier’s product pages to review detailed datasheets and certification documents.

Useful references and standards:

• IEA Solar PV reports: https://www.iea.org/reports/solar-pv
• Photovoltaic system basics (Wikipedia): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Photovoltaic_system
• IP Code (Ingress Protection): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IP_Code
• Lithium-ion battery overview: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lithium-ion_battery