Tools

The controller decision tool and quick calculators for planning and specification. Defaults follow the selected region.

Which controller do you need?

Answer six questions. The tool gives a starting recommendation, not a design.

1. How do you handle faults today?

Each fault is logged and closed with a record Mostly phone calls, paper, or spreadsheets

2. How many lights?

Fewer than 500 500 to 10,000 More than 10,000

3. What do you need to see?

Circuit level: trips, day burning, energy Each light

4. What socket do the luminaires have?

Zhaga Book 18 NEMA 7-pin None, or not sure

5. Is LTE-M or NB-IoT coverage good on your roads?

Yes No, or not sure

6. How do you want to dim?

A fixed profile is fine Change schedules remotely, or use sensors

Dimming savings

See what a dimming schedule saves in a year. Defaults follow the selected region.

Number of lights Watts per light

Burn hours per night Hours dimmed per night

Dimmed level (%) Tariff per kWh

kg CO₂e per kWh

Saved each year

0

Energy at full power

Energy with dimming

Energy saved

Carbon avoided

Assumes power falls in proportion to the dimmed level. Real drivers save a little less.

Burn hours from latitude

Estimate yearly burn hours from your latitude and switching offsets.

Latitude (degrees, negative for south)

Switch on, minutes after sunset Switch off, minutes before sunrise

Burn hours per year

0

Average per night

Longest night

Shortest night

Uses sunset and sunrise at sea level. Photocells and local horizon change the result a little.

Voltage drop

Check the voltage at the last pole of a circuit. Resistive estimate for a first check, not a design calculation.

SystemSingle-phaseThree-phase, balanced Phase-to-neutral voltage (V)

Cable length to last pole (m) ConductorCopperAluminium

Cross-section (mm²) Limit (%)

Number of lights Watts per light

Power factor Lights spread evenly

Voltage drop at the last pole

0%

Current at the cabinet

Voltage drop

Voltage at last pole

Uses resistance at about 70 °C and ignores reactance. Evenly spread load uses half the length. For AWG sizes, convert to mm² first (for example 6 AWG ≈ 13.3 mm²).

Solar street light sizing

Estimate battery and panel size for one solar street light.

LED power (W) Burn hours per night

Average level over the night (%) Days of autonomy

Peak sun hours, worst month Usable depth of discharge (%)

System efficiency (%) Battery voltage (V)

Panel size

0

Energy per night

Battery energy

Battery capacity

First estimate only. Check the worst month's sun data for your site, and the maker's design.

Cost of ownership

Compare two options over the life of the project: for example, keep old lamps against an LED retrofit, or LED only against LED with nodes. No discounting.

Number of lights Years

Tariff per kWh Burn hours per year

Option A

Capital cost per light Average watts per light

Maintenance per light per year

Option B

Capital cost per light Average watts per light

Maintenance per light per year

Lower total cost

Option A total

Option B total

Enter average watts after dimming. Costs are in the selected region's currency. Include connectivity fees in maintenance for options with nodes.

Spares stock

Find when to reorder a part, and how much to hold.

Use per week Supplier lead time (weeks)

Safety stock Weeks between orders

Reorder when stock falls to

0

Maximum stock after delivery

Use your repair history to find use per week for each part.

Previous sectionComparisonNext sectionBenchmark