What is the purpose of the Solar Road Stud?
In the road traffic system, road markings play a key role in ensuring driving safety. Traditional road studs and markings are important tools to guide drivers along the carriageway. However, with the passage of time, coupled with the irregularity of maintenance work, the visibility of these road studs at night is gradually reduced, which results in the emergence of many ‘black spots’ on the road, greatly increasing the risk of traffic accidents. Especially in busy roads, or rainy nights and other bad weather, want to clearly identify these road nails become more and more difficult. So, how to solve this problem? Solar powered LED road studs have emerged as a brand new solution for road safety. Now, let's explore the use of solar road studs in what aspects.
What is LED Solar Road Stud?
Definition and Technical Composition
The Solar LED road stud is a road marking device that incorporates advanced technology. It is programmable through a network of solar panels (some with battery back-up options) and LED circuits. Internally, it consists of a solar panel, an LED chip and a battery. The solar panel acts as an energy collector and is responsible for converting solar energy into electricity; the LED chip is responsible for illuminating the road to provide clear signage; and the battery is used to store power to ensure that the studs can still work at night or when there is insufficient light.
Remarkable Advantages
Solar LED road studs have excellent reflective properties, with a 10 to 12 times increase in reflectivity compared to traditional road studs. Under ideal conditions, drivers can clearly see the light emitted by these studs from a distance of approximately 900 to 1200 metres. This excellent visibility distance makes it possible to provide road users with extremely bright and clear lane markings in darkness or bad weather, effectively guiding vehicles safely.
What are the colors of LED Solar road studs?
Green LED
Green LED Solar Road Studs are usually installed at motorway entrance/exit ramps and near parking strips. When drivers see the green studs, they know that this is the entrance or exit of the motorway and that they can enter or exit the motorway safely via the ramp. At some motorway interchanges, the green studs are arranged in an orderly manner, guiding vehicles smoothly into and out of the main road, ensuring the efficient operation of traffic.
Red LED
Red LED Solar Road Studs are installed along the left side of the road, near the hard shoulder. Its presence clearly indicates to the driver that the road edge has ended and the hard shoulder is about to start. In some mountainous areas, where road conditions are complex and the boundary between the edge of the road and the hard shoulder is not easy to distinguish at night, the presence of a red LED road stud is particularly important, as it helps drivers to maintain a clear understanding of the road boundary at all times and prevents the vehicle from deviating from its normal driving trajectory.
Amber LED
The amber LED Solar Road Studs is placed on the right-hand side of a dual carriageway road or motorway, near the hard shoulder of the central divider. It is primarily used to inform the driver that the edge of the road ahead is about to transition to the centre divider. On some wide urban expressways, amber road studs clearly delineate the boundary between the lane and the median, guiding drivers to drive safely and preventing vehicles from misjudging the danger zone.
White LED studs
White LED Solar Road Studs are often used between lanes on dual carriageways or motorways. On the one hand, it serves to remind drivers to stay in the current lane, and on the other hand, it provides drivers with a reminder to overtake if it is safe to do so. In the highway with large traffic flow, white road studs are arranged in the middle of the lane in an orderly manner, regulating the driving trajectory of vehicles and effectively reducing traffic accidents caused by lane confusion. Yellow LED road studs (when traffic is temporarily diverted)
When temporary traffic diversion is required due to road construction or maintenance, yellow LED road studs will ‘come on stage’. They are placed on the diverted road sections to convey the information of road adjustment to motorists. During the construction of a section of road, the yellow road studs are set along the edge of the temporarily opened lane, together with the temporary low-speed signs, to guide vehicles safely through the construction area, ensuring construction safety and traffic order.
How do LED solar road studs work?
Energy Harvesting and Storage
The solar panel is installed on the top of the solar spike, which is the key part of its energy collection. During the day, when there is plenty of sunlight, the solar panel absorbs the sunlight and converts it into electrical energy. The electricity generated is then transferred to a battery for storage, which provides energy for the spikes to operate at night or in low light conditions. For example, on a sunny summer's day, the solar panels can efficiently harvest energy to provide sufficient power to illuminate the spikes for long periods of time during the night.
Lighting and road marking
When night falls or the ambient light fades, the photoelectric switch inside the spike comes into play. It controls the LED lights that shine through the spikes, providing a bright light that cuts through the darkness and clearly marks the edge of the road. Common locations for solar spikes are the centreline and the edge of the road. Pegs installed on the centreline of the road help drivers to accurately determine whether their vehicle is in the correct lane at night, while those installed at the edge of the road provide drivers with a clear indication of the road boundary, preventing vehicles from veering off the road.
Durability and Installation Requirements
Solar road studs need to have sufficient load-bearing capacity to withstand the crush of passing vehicles, especially heavy vehicles. When installed, the spike needs to be buried in the road surface with a 5mm to 8mm projection. When properly installed, solar road studs have a service life of 7 to 9 years and require minimal maintenance during that time. On some of the more heavily trafficked national roads, correctly installed solar road studs have stood the test of a large number of vehicles and have worked consistently and reliably for many years, providing a reliable guarantee of road safety.
What are the advantages of solar road stud lights?
Road marking
On highways and city roads, solar road studs are widely used for lane demarcation and boundary guidance. They are like an invisible ‘command line’, regulating the driving direction of vehicles and ensuring a smooth traffic order. On the main roads in the city, solar road studs clearly delineate different lanes, both in the daytime and at night, to guide drivers to drive safely and improve the efficiency of road traffic.
Dangerous road warnings
In sharp turns, ramps, tunnels, bridges and other accident-prone dangerous roads, solar road studs play an important role in warning. These sections of the road due to the complexity of the road conditions, drivers at night or under bad weather is difficult to accurately judge the road conditions. Solar road studs can emit bright light, providing obvious warning reminders for passing drivers. In mountainous areas, the solar road studs at sharp bends flash brightly at night, informing drivers to slow down in advance and reducing the possibility of accidents.
Guidelines for Complex Roads
Crossroads, ramps and other areas with complex road conditions and frequent vehicle interchanges are prone to traffic accidents. Solar road studs in such areas can effectively guide vehicles through safely. In some complex on-ramps of overpasses, solar road studs provide drivers with accurate driving guidance through different colours and arrangements, helping them to pass through complex intersections or entrances smoothly.
Car Parks and Public Areas
Solar road studs are not only useful on roads, but also in car parks and public areas. In car parks, solar road studs can be used to mark parking spaces and lanes, making it easier for car owners to park and drive accurately. In the car parks of some large shopping malls, solar road studs clearly delineate each parking space, guiding vehicles to park in an orderly manner and improving the space utilisation of the car park. In public areas such as parks or squares, solar road studs can also play a role in beautifying the environment, and their soft light adds a unique atmosphere to the public space.
Temporary signage in construction areas
Due to their ease of installation and rapid deployment, solar spikes are often used as temporary diversion or warning signs in construction areas. During road construction, construction crews are able to quickly install solar pins at locations where vehicles need to be guided, providing drivers with clear road directions and ensuring construction safety. In a road maintenance project, solar road studs were installed in a short period of time to guide vehicles around the construction area, ensuring smooth construction and normal traffic operation.
Low visibility environment improvement
In rainy and foggy weather or no lighting environment, solar road studs significantly improve the visibility of the road by virtue of the characteristics of solar power generation and light emission. On foggy mornings, the light from solar road studs penetrates through the fog and provides drivers with reliable road markings to help them drive safely. In some remote rural roads, due to the lack of lighting facilities, solar road studs become an important tool to ensure the safety of night driving.
What is the use of road stud light?
Enhanced Visibility and Safety
In low-light environments or poor weather conditions, solar road studs provide drivers, cyclists and pedestrians with clear road guidance. Whether it's a dark night or a torrential downpour, the bright light of solar road studs reduces the risk of accidents and keeps road users safe. In areas with frequent foggy weather, the installation of solar road studs significantly reduces the incidence of traffic accidents, providing a strong guarantee of safety for residents travelling.
24/7 Autonomous Operation
Solar road studs have the ability to operate independently, collecting solar energy through solar panels during the day and converting it into electricity to be stored for lighting at night. Even in remote areas or where there is no grid coverage, solar pins can continue to work, providing 24-hour uninterrupted lighting and marking services for roads. In some remote mountainous highways, solar road studs rely on their own energy supply system to work steadily and illuminate the road for passing vehicles.
Environmentally Sustainable
Solar road studs utilise clean, renewable solar energy as an energy source, reducing reliance on traditional fossil fuels and lowering carbon emissions. At the same time, its low energy consumption and long lifespan further reduce the impact on the environment. In advocating green development today, the application of solar road studs is in line with the concept of sustainable development and contributes to the protection of the environment. Many cities give preference to solar road studs in road construction to reduce energy consumption and environmental pollution.
Cost-effective and low maintenance
Compared with traditional road lighting systems, although solar road studs may have a higher initial investment, in the long run, they operate without paying for electricity and require minimal maintenance, resulting in significant cost savings. Due to the advanced technology and durable materials used in solar road studs, simple periodic inspections are usually all that is required, eliminating the need for frequent replacement of components or complex maintenance work. In some cities, long-term operating costs have been significantly reduced with the use of solar road studs in road improvement projects.
Versatile Adaptability
Solar road studs are suitable for a wide range of road types and environments, whether it's a motorway, a country road, a city street, a cycle lane, a footpath or even a temporary construction area. Their compact size and wireless design allow them to be installed flexibly in a variety of locations and integrate easily with existing road infrastructure. In different road scenarios, the solar road studs are able to provide accurate guidance and warnings to road users according to the actual needs.
Quick and Easy Installation
Compared with traditional street lights that require extensive excavation and wiring work, the installation of solar road studs is quick and easy, with minimal disruption to the normal operation of the road. Construction crews can simply surface-mount or embed the studs directly into the road surface, greatly reducing installation time and disruption to traffic. In some of the need to quickly improve the road lighting and signage projects, the rapid installation of solar road studs advantages have been fully embodied.
Will solar road studs replace reflective versions?
Current co-existence
In the United Kingdom and other countries, although the solar road studs have a certain development trend, but due to some areas of light pollution concerns, as well as the installation of solar road studs in some sections of the cost-benefit ratio is not ideal, so the solar road studs will not completely replace the traditional reflective road studs, the two will continue to coexist for some time in the future. In some of the more stringent light requirements of the residential areas near the road, the traditional reflective road studs are still widely used; and in some of the traffic flow, the visibility of the road marking requirements of the main road, solar road studs are gradually emerging.
Modification and application prospects
Solar road studs are designed to fit into the standard iron shell used for traditional reflective road studs, and they have good durability and can withstand the daily pressure of the road. Therefore, for many areas, it makes sense to retrofit existing roads with solar spikes. In fact, solar spikes already account for a significant proportion of new road spiking projects led by motorway authorities and local councils in the UK. With the continuous progress of technology and the gradual reduction of cost, the application of solar road studs in the field of road marking will have a broader future.
Technology development outlook
With the continuous progress of science and technology, the technology of solar road studs will continue to innovate. In the future, we are expected to see solar road studs in the energy conversion efficiency, lighting effect, intelligent control and other aspects of a greater breakthrough. For example, by improving the material and design of solar panels, the collection and conversion efficiency of solar energy can be improved; intelligent sensors can be used to automatically adjust the brightness of the road studs according to the actual traffic flow and ambient light, which can further improve the efficiency of energy utilisation and road safety. Solar road studs will play a more important role in ensuring road safety and promoting green transport development.
Solar road studs with its unique design, excellent performance and wide range of uses, in modern road traffic plays an increasingly important role. It not only provides a reliable guarantee for road safety, but also contributes to environmental protection and sustainable development. With the continuous development of technology and the gradual promotion of the application, solar road studs will certainly play a greater role in future road construction, creating a safer and more convenient traffic environment for people's travelling.
