As Qatar prepares for the World Cup taking place towards the end of 2022, the country's green agenda has taken the forefront in many infrastructural developments. Among the many initiatives taken, the installation of Smart solar streetlights in Doha aims to boost their sustainability drive.
The 350 completely off-the-grid solar street lights produced by Texas-based company EnGoPlanet were installed at several locations in Doha.
EnGoPlanet, the producer of the Smart Solar streetlights, is a US-based company that focuses on solar street lights and smart solar furniture like solar-powered benches and bus shelters. The increasing global presence of renewable energy companies reflects the turn towards alternatives and sustainable solutions in order to build Smart Cities of the future.
Many locations in the world are suitable for the application of solar energy to be straightforward, of which solar street lights are perhaps one of the most economical and practical applications of solar energy in smart city infrastructure, given their ability to be entirely off-grid and be easily installed. This can be especially valuable for Africa where currently more than 800 million people live in the dark.