Solar Street Lights
Solar Street Light Installation Checklist for Indian Sites
26 January 2026 · 6 min read
Most solar street light complaints are installation problems, not product problems — a tree shadow at 3 pm, a loose earthing lug, or a foundation that tilts after the first monsoon. Work through this checklist before you sign off a site.
Site and shadow survey
Walk the alignment at mid-morning and mid-afternoon, not just at noon. Anything that shades the panel for more than an hour a day — a neem tree, a water tank, a parapet — will cut winter charging enough to cause mid-night shutdowns.
- Keep the panel clear of shade between 9 am and 4 pm
- Face panels true south; azimuth error beyond 15° costs measurable yield
- Set tilt close to your site latitude, with a 10° winter bias in north India
Foundation and pole erection
For a 6 m pole with an all-in-one fixture, a 600 x 600 x 900 mm M20 concrete foundation with a four-bolt J-bolt cage is the practical minimum in normal soil. Increase depth in black cotton or filled soil, and cure for at least seven days before mounting the panel.
- Check verticality with a spirit level on two faces after grouting
- Use a galvanised base plate and stainless fasteners in coastal areas
- Earth the pole with a dedicated pipe or plate; measure below 5 ohms
Commissioning tests before handover
Force a night test rather than waiting for dusk — cover the panel and confirm the luminaire strikes within a minute, and record the controller's battery voltage. Log the serial numbers against the pole locations so warranty claims later take minutes, not days.
- Open-circuit panel voltage recorded in sunlight
- Battery resting voltage and controller charge current logged
- Dusk-on and dawn-off timings verified
- Serial numbers registered for warranty
Frequently asked questions
What tilt angle should a solar panel have in India?
Set the tilt close to the site latitude — around 28° in Delhi NCR and 13° in Chennai — and add up to 10° for better winter performance in northern states.
How deep should a solar street light foundation be?
A 900 mm deep M20 concrete foundation with a four-bolt cage suits a 6 m pole in normal soil; go deeper in loose, filled or black cotton soil.
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