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 Solar Bollard
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Overview of Bollards
Bollards are typically metal posts set in the ground that acts as a barrier between road vehicles and pedestrian areas. They can be sited at road junctions to prevent drivers 'cutting' the corner when turning. This stops the vehicle driving up on the pavement and injuring pedestrians. They are also sited on the edge of pavements near the road to prevent cars from parking on them. The bollards are normally of robust design so that if a car does drive up the pavement and hit a bollard, the bollard will absorb the impact (dependant on vehicle speed) and protect pedestrians from injury. In cities such as London there are tens of thousands of bollards of many different designs sited to give pedestrian protection from vehicles. A typical row of steel bollards sited on a road corner is shown below. These bollards are cemented into the ground and are made from steel tubing. Reflective yellow paint on the bollard is intended to help drivers see them at night. Night collisions with bollards can become a problem as often the headlights of the cars do not point in the direction of the bollard and the drivers do not see them in time to prevent an accident.
Benefits
For countries with high magnitude of solar irradiation there is the possibility of a completely new and innovative solar bollard that at night gives off enough light from LED's to enable drivers to see the bollards and act as a pathway marker for pedestrians. The solar bollard is completely self-contained with solar panel, batteries and LED's. No wiring is required from grid sources eliminating the digging up of roadways to lay cables. The excellent all year round solar levels in so many countries make such a new product feasible. The solar bollards can have many uses:
* Illuminated barriers between road vehicles and pedestrian areas
* Pathway markers for parks, Government buildings, car parks
* Waymarkers in remote areas where grid electricity is not available
Solion will undertake the following:
* Research into the potential for solar bollards in any country from a social, technical and financial aspect.
* Development of Design Brief.
* Product Design Specification.
* Concept designs, one or more to be selected for prototype manufacture.
* 3D CAD design of chosen concept.
* Manufacture of Prototype.
* Bench testing of prototype.
* Installation at site.
* On-site test and evaluation.
* Iterations to final solar bollard design.
* Organising manufacture for large-scale installation programme.
* Organising servicing and maintenance.
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