Much has changed since 2008 in the solar street light manufacturing sector with several companies posing as experts in solar lighting. The question is how will you identify the solar street light manufacturer that is reliable? There are few things to consider that can help you choose the right solar light manufacturer
Top five points to consider when choosing a solar street light manufacturer
- Beware of cheap offers
We are experiencing the rise of many companies dealing with solar technology and one must decide carefully which one to choose. A lot of buyers get carried away by solar street light manufacturer offering cheap and fast products.
Although we have new manufacturers springing up that are providing modern solar street lamps system and some entice customers with economical options and more efficient system. However, it is essential not to allow yourselves to get deceived by manufacturers offering low-cost products and services as they may turn out to be untrue.
- Check out the solar street light manufacturer.
One of the ways of choosing a reliable manufacturer is checking out the company if possible. Seeing is believing they say, and by visiting the company in person to witness the process of production, you can check if the manufacturer is dependable and reliable to offer quality products and services.
A good manufacturer that is confident of its product quality won’t hesitate to show you around its premises offering you the chance to review the quality of its solar street light system.
- How long does the battery backup for the manufacturer’s product last?
Remember the product you want to buy from a solar manufacturer must have a good battery to store energy to be utilized at night to power the solar street light system. You need to be wary of the manufacturer that offer 2-3 days of battery backup, which is not good enough when you weigh in environmental factors like bad weather. This can lead to over-discharging of the battery, thereby increasing its failure rates while jacking up the cost of replacement and maintenance.
The ideal battery backup is a five night’s minimum for many locations along with extra storage for colder regions to bring down the costs of maintenance and operation. The level at which the battery discharge can seriously affect battery life. When the battery discharge depth is kept at 20% or lower, this keeps the cycles at 3000 or higher, whereas increasing the depth to 30% in a day reduce the cycles by half. This means that when you go for a battery with 2-3 days storage only then there will need to change the battery annually or every two years. So you should a manufacturer that offers better battery backup.
- Customer support and warranty
Another point to consider is the customer care response to queries and complaints. If an issue should crop up, how responsive is the company? Are they able to answer your questions to satisfaction? Or are you left wondering what to do next after calling the customer support? A solar street light manufacturer must be able to provide satisfactory answers to queries and questions from customers.
The warranty offered by the manufacturer is also quite important, a solar street light system that has only one year warranty is not good enough. You could end paying each year for replacement parts, which only increase the cost of operation. The best option is going for a solar street light that lasts for a long time and has a warranty of back it up. Additionally, the warranty terms must be well-defined and straightforward for customers to understand.
- Customer reviews and quality
Although going through all the customer reviews about a company and its products is not an easy task. However, customer testimonial is a good place to start to have a general idea of what the manufacturer has to offer. A lot of solar companies have personal websites where buyers give their reviews about the company’s products. There are also third parties websites not affiliated with any company, just for customers reviews only where you can also investigate the quality the products the manufacturers have to offer.
The best option is to review as many testimonials as possible from different sources about the manufacturer. This can allow you to know if the solar street light manufacturer is dependable and fulfill their warranties to customers. Be wary of manufacturers that offer project cases for you to test their product quality or refuse to sell samples before placing a bulk order.
Conclusion
Choosing a good solar street light manufacturer is not an easy feat as your choice can determine the success of your solar street lights system project. It is vital to consider all the requirements you need starting with the points mentioned above. These can help you make the right choice as you decide on the manufacturer to buy from.