A standalone solar photovoltaic street lighting system (SLS) is an outdoor lighting unit used for illuminating a street or an open area. The Solar Street Lighting System consists of solar photovoltaic (SPV) module, a luminaire, storage battery, control electronics, inter-connecting wires/cables, module mounting pole including hardware and battery box. The luminaire is based on White Light Emitting Diode (W-LED), a solid state device which emits light when electric current passes through it. The luminaire is mounted on the pole at a suitable angle to maximize illumination on the ground. The PV module is placed at the top of the pole at an angle facing south so that it receives solar radiation throughout the day, without any shadow falling on it. A battery is placed in a box attached to the pole.

Electricity generated by the PV module charges the battery during the day time which powers the luminaire from dusk to dawn. The system lights at dusk and switches off at dawn automatically.