LED fixture manufacturer Sunovia Energy Technologies, Inc. announced that it formed a partnership with Solar Electric Power Co., a maker of solar electric lighting, to provide outdoor lighting that uses no electricity. The companies expect to produce thousands of solar-powered LED lighting fixtures under the new agreement.

Their first application is for "Cobra Head"-style LED lights that employ Sunovia's proprietary "Aimed Optics"(TM) technology, which controls the direction of light onto a roadway, parking lot or other targeted area. The new LED fixtures use low-voltage DC power generated by solar arrays and batteries from SEPCO. LED lights are ideal for solar-powered applications as LEDs produce light using far less input energy than metal halide or high-pressure sodium sources.

According to Sunovia, its "Aimed Optics" technology tackles optical issues because LEDs by nature are directional - their light points straight out from the LED - making them great for vehicle tail lights, but not so great for lighting that must be spread out over a highway or parking lot. Because LEDs within Sunovia's EvoLucia-brand cobra heads are strategically aimed to precisely focus light for specified locations, they achieve higher light utilization, providing higher "target efficiencies" than even other types of LED fixtures. This is particularly important in street and roadway applications, where requires heightened visibility of more light reaching roadways at ground level.

Sunovia mounts LEDs in an unusual pattern in the Cobra Head fixture, with reflectors like mirrors. It uses 73 watts compared to 81 for an LED light bar design, and puts the light in a better pattern. Compared with present vapor lights, widely used outdoors, the savings are a third or more.