Australasian Mine Safety is the leading voice for all key decision makers within Mining company's and major contractors. Delivering the latest industry news as it breaks.
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LIGHTING INNOVATIONS THE FUTURE OF MOBILE LIGHTING FOR MINING Solar Hire Pty Ltd has brought a new design of solar powered lighting system to the market with serious advantages over diesel power units. Solar lighting is fast beginning to crop up in the Mining Sector as the industry’s answer to the ever increasing pressure to save costs onsite and move toward more sustainable energy. The advantages of this lighting solution, however, extend well beyond cost savings and a greener company footprint. One considerable benefi t of the units is zero noise emissions during operation. This enables use close to built-up areas and throughout the night without affecting surrounding work groups or residents. The units are suitable for general area lighting on mine dumps, crib huts, shutdown pads, traffi c intersections, go lines and deadlines. The units have in-built safety for the protection of both operators and towers. The tower has the ability to self-lower at high wind to ensure the unit does not tip over. Once wind strength has dropped to safe levels it will automatically extended to full height and recommence work. The solar charging system remains in service whether stationary or in transit. The solar panels are fi xed with no pinch points for users. The towers are constructed to purchase specifi cations and have a delivery time of ten-weeks-to-site in most cases. Once placed in position and north facing they are immediately operational. The onboard battery system has a life expectancy of fi ve years. The solar panels have a life span of 20 years. Each unit has a 12 month warranty with an optional buy-back scheme if they are in service for three years. The towers are extremely robust but with a towing weight of less than 1.5 tons they can be easily moved between locations by light vehicles. The entire system works at an extra low voltage of 24 volts on board to ensure worker safety. It also has a small 3.3KVA generator set on board to back up the solar charging system. Whilst it is unlikely this should need to be used, it serves as an add-on to keep peace of mind that the site will never be without lighting. The solar towers have enough stored energy Lamp Colour (kelivn) Lamp Life (hours) Cost per lamp Nightly run time Activation/deactivation Fuel required Average annual fuel use (based on 12 hours daily, 365 days) CO2 Emissions Audible noise Daily labour cost (manpower charges) Diesel Lighting Tower Blue/white 200 to 2 000 $180 - $230 User defined: manual/timer Manual/timer –Timers need variation throughout the year Yes Approx 8 – 10 000 litres Yes Yes Yes Solar Lighting Tower White 10 000 $29 Dusk until dawn – with manual overide Automatic no variation required No None None None No For more information on any of the above please contact Solar Hire, the exclusive distributor of this product in Australia, on 1300 895 544. 92 AUSTRALASIAN MINE SAFETY JOURNAL onboard to last four days without exposure to sunlight and still provide 12 hours operation per night. The Australian designed solar lighting towers allow real savings to any operation. The reduced consumption of diesel fuel is the most signifi cant saving. Diesel operated towers cost almost $11 000 per unit annually. There are no cost requirements for the solar power. Furthermore, the maintenance overheads are reduced as there are no labour costs associated with refuelling. As the solar tower systems rely on an air operated system to raise and lower the masts, there are no costs associated with the hydraulic systems. The table below clearly contrasts the strengths of solar lighting towers with conventional lighting towers: