Smart LED Lighting in Solar Fence

“I must admit that at first I was skeptical about this whole idea with lighting the fence,” Marek, the owner of a single-family house in the suburbs of Warsaw, tells me. “But after two electrical failures and expensive repairs, during which we had to dig up half the garden, I began to look for alternatives.”

Mark's story is not unique. Most homeowners sooner or later face the challenge of lighting their property. It seems like a simple task - after all, it is enough to mount a couple of lamps near the fence, right? However, reality can quickly verify these assumptions.

Traditional lighting of the fence requires carrying out a comprehensive electrical installation. This implies the need to make deep excavations along the entire fence, lay cables in special shield pipes, and then supply power to each light point. If we have a plot of 30 by 40 meters, we are talking about excavations up to 140 meters long!

“The cost of wiring and earthworks alone exceeded PLN 15,000 for me,” recalls Anna, who installed traditional lighting a year ago. “Added to this is the cost of lamps, controllers and labor. And yet, after a couple of months, problems arose - during garden work, we accidentally damaged one of the cables and it was necessary to call an electrician.”

The problem with traditional lighting does not end at the installation stage. Any subsequent garden work, such as planting bushes or building paths, requires special care. One unfortunate movement of the spade is enough, and an expensive repair awaits us again. Added to this are regular electricity bills - after all, each lamp draws power from the network.

Especially problematic are cases when the fence is located at a considerable distance from the house. “It was almost 50 meters from the switchboard to the first lamp,” says Tomasz, the owner of a house on the outskirts of the city. “The electrician immediately told me that at such a distance there may be problems with voltage drops. And indeed - the lamps at the end of the fence shone noticeably dimmer than those closer to the house.”

Moreover, traditional electrical installations are particularly vulnerable to damage caused by weather conditions. Moisture that gets into the junction boxes can cause short circuits and require replacement of entire sections of wiring. And during a storm, one lightning strike nearby is enough to damage the entire installation.

It is not surprising that more and more people are looking for alternative solutions. Some try to use cheap solar lamps, but these quickly turn out to be a disappointment - they shine poorly, have a short service life, and their appearance leaves much to be desired. “I bought such lamps for 50 zlotys apiece,” admits Peter. “After a year, half of them stopped working, and the rest shone so dimly that they actually had no effect.”

The problem of lighting a fence is not only a technical or financial issue. It is also a matter of safety and comfort of use of the property. A well-lit fence not only increases the aesthetic qualities of the property after dark, but above all increases security - it deters potential intruders and makes it easier to move around after dark. That is why it is so important to find a solution that will be reliable, economical and aesthetic at the same time.

Solution

Imagine a fence that itself produces the energy needed for its lighting. Sounds like science fiction? And yet this is precisely the solution offered by the eFence system. Let's take a look at how exactly this innovative solution works.

At the heart of the system are specially designed fence posts, in which energy-saving LED strips are integrated. However, this is only the beginning - each pole is equipped with a small power bank that stores the electricity produced during the day by photovoltaic panels integrated into the spans of the fence. “It's like a small energy ecosystem,” explains Tomasz Kowalski, an engineer at Electrotile. “During the day, the panels produce energy, which is stored in power banks, and in the evening they power the LED lighting.”

The system is designed for maximum reliability. Each pillar works independently, which means that a possible failure of one element does not affect the operation of the others. “This is a completely different approach than in traditional installations, where damage to one cable can immobilize the entire lighting,” Kowalski emphasizes.

But the real revolution lies in the way the system is controlled. Each owner gets access to an intuitive mobile application that allows you to control lighting from anywhere. “You can turn on the lights while you are still at work, so that when you return you will find the property illuminated,” explains Anna Nowak, who has been using the system for six months. “And if you forget to turn off the lights when you leave the house, you can do it with one click on your phone.”

The application offers much more possibilities than just turning the lights on and off. You can set a schedule according to which the lighting will automatically turn on at dusk and turn off at dawn. The system also works with motion sensors - for example, you can configure it so that the lights turn on to full power only when someone approaches the fence.

“Initially, I was worried about whether the system would cope on cloudy days,” admits Marek Wiśniewski, another eFence user. “But it turned out that the power banks are capacious enough that even a few cloudy days in a row are not a problem. The system is designed to always have a power reserve for at least 72 hours of operation.”

The installation of the system is surprisingly simple and does not require any earthworks. All electrical connections are carried out inside the fence profiles, which not only provides an aesthetic appearance, but also protects the installation from mechanical damage and the influence of weather conditions. “When assembling, you do not need to be an electronics specialist” - assures Piotr Adamczyk, an installer with many years of experience. “The system is designed to simplify the installation process as much as possible.”

Importantly, the system can be expanded in stages. “Some customers start by lighting only the front of the fence, and then add more sections,” Adamczyk says. “Thanks to the modular design and wireless control, such an expansion is not a problem.”

Intelligent control also allows you to create different “light scenes”. You can, for example, set a soft backlight for every day, and brighter for parties in the garden. The system also allows you to independently control different zones of the fence - you can, for example, illuminate the entrance and the gate more strongly, and the side parts of the fence more gently.

“This solution has changed the way I perceive the lighting of the property,” concludes Anna Nowak. “From a technical and financial problem, it has become an element that actually increases the comfort of life and safety, and at the same time does not generate any additional costs or problems.”

Benefits

Let us now examine the specific benefits of installing smart LED lighting in the eFence system. Let's look at it through the lens of real-world user experiences and hard economic data.

Let's start with the financial issues that are crucial for many investors. “In my case, the difference was striking,” says Andrzej, owner of a house near Poznań. “The traditional lighting installation was valued at around PLN 25,000, including earthworks and materials. In addition, regular electricity bills would be added - at 40 light points we are talking about several hundred zlotys a month.” The eFence system eliminates these costs with solar power. Moreover, it is currently possible to obtain funding under the My Power 6.0 program, which can reach up to PLN 23,000.

Maintenance-free system is another significant advantage. Mariusz, who installed the eFence fence a year and a half ago, shares his experience: “All this time the system works without any intervention on my part. I don't have to worry about replacing bulbs, checking connections or cleaning fixtures. LEDs have an estimated lifespan of 50,000 hours, which translates to about 15 years of daily light.”

The security aspect is equally important. “As a former police officer, I can say that a well-lit fence is one of the most effective elements of deterring burglars,” says Krzysztof, a security expert. “The eFence system has the added advantage of motion sensors and remote control, making the property feel inhabited even in our absence.”

It is also worth mentioning the comfort of use. “I noticed the biggest difference in winter,” says Katarzyna from Wrocław. “Previously, I had to remember to manually turn the lights on and off, often in the dark looking for the switch. Now the system adapts itself to the time of year and day, and I can check its status on the phone at any time.”

The system also offers unexpected benefits. “We use fence lighting as a decorative element during garden parties,” says Margaret, landscape architect. “The ability to adjust the light intensity and create different light scenes gives incredible arrangement possibilities. It is no longer just functional lighting, but a mood-setting element.”

For those who care about the environment, the ecological aspect is also important. A traditional lighting installation of a similar size consumes about 2000 kWh of electricity per year, which translates into emissions of about 1.5 tons of CO2. The eFence system, thanks to solar power, has a zero carbon footprint during operation.

In conclusion, smart LED lighting in the eFence system is not only a modern technical solution, but above all a practical system that realistically increases living comfort and safety, while generating significant savings. As Tomasz, Electrotile engineer, points out: “This is an example of technology that really solves user problems, not creates new ones. And that's exactly what we wanted when designing this system.”

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