Installation & Operation Manua
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REV 14-10-24
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PV-Shelter RMSxxF Series
How it works
The RMS series shelter lighting system provides lighting using state of the art LED luminaires,
batteries and solar panels, integrated with an intelligent programmable energy control module
(ECM). Electricity generated by the solar panels is directed to the ECM which regulates the charging
of the battery bank and switches on the power to the LEDs. The ECM is factory programmed to
provide variable calendar based lighting profiles (on time duration and intensity) to match the
available solar insolation and user preferences. The main system components are described below:
PV Array (solar module)
The PV array consists of one, two, or three 30W solar modules mounted to a metal framework.
Alternatively, a single 50W solar module can be used for some applications. The solar panel array
size is selected to provide enough solar charging for the system to operate dusk till dawn, at a
specific brightness level, year round at a given geographical location.
Batteries
The battery bank is composed of two or three 18 amp-hour 12 Volt cells. The batteries are sealed,
lead acid, rechargeable, and provide a minimum of 5 days autonomy (i.e. the system could operate
for a minimum of 5 days with absolutely no solar charging – for example during heavy snowfall).
Luminaires
The LED luminaires contain high power white LEDs. The luminaires are driven well below their
maximum power rating to increase efficiency and extend the already long life.
ECM
The Energy Control Module is the central control of the lighting system. It controls battery
charging and regulates the power to the LED luminaires. The ECM also monitors the system
performance to ensure the batteries will not be damaged by over charging, and will turn off the
LEDs if the battery voltage falls below the low voltage disconnect (LVD) setting. Once the
batteries have been sufficiently charged above the LVD, the ECM will turn the LEDs back on
again. The ECM is factory programmed for a specific operation profile based on the customer
requirements for LED on-time and brightness level, and depends on the geographical location
and solar array size. Using a calendar based approach, the LED light levels and on-times can
be optimized for maximum performance year round.
Operating Profile
The RMSxxF has a built in programmable energy control module (ECM). The standard operating
profile has luminaires automatically turning on after dusk at full brightness, and turning off at dawn
– this is the dusk till dawn (D/D) profile. However, in some locations, and depending on the season,
there may be insufficient sunlight to support the D/D profile all year long. Therefore, the RMSxxF
is pre-programmed at the factory to set a calendar based operating profile to maximize the light
intensity and duration based on NASA solar insolation data for the region.
For example, an RMS30F in Seattle might be programmed for D/D lighting for the months of
May through September, and then a shorter lighting duration and/or lower intensity from October
through April (for example, dusk+6hrs/dawn-2hrs, at 75% intensity). Since the programming
is calendar based, the lighting levels and durations can be adjusted and optimized on any
time interval.
