Solar Powered Digital Billboards?

Kevin Conlin, Autonomous Power Solutions

At last week’s DailyDOOH Investor Conference Lamar CEO Sean Reilly said that Lamar has some digital billboards which could get off the grid when we have better batteries.  Insider asked solar powered billboard expert Kevin Conlin to discuss the feasibility of solar powered digital billboards.

Kevin are solar powered digital billboards feasible?

I really appreciate what Sean, and Lamar,  have done for solar billboards, but in this case I have to respectfully disagree.  A digital going dark is a lot more serious that a static, so reliability is paramount. A reliable solar system requires at least 7 days of autonomy, or battery reserve, which means a huge battery bank. At current costs, a lead acid battery would cost approx..$60,000, and a lithium battery 5X that.  Even if battery costs are halved, it still represents a huge expense, and in my opinion, such a large battery isn’t practical.

How feasible is it to expect digital billboards to be solar powered in the future?

I’m currently discussing this option with a company in Saudi Arabia, and we concluded solar just isn’t feasible. Again, the solar power isn’t a problem, but the batteries are massive.

What has to happen for this to occur?

The current power consumption of a digital is just too high. If the power consumption were to come down dramatically it might be feasible.  Right now a diesel or propane generator makes more sense.

Are there other issues with running a digital billboard off a battery?

Yes, practical ones as I see it:

  1. To justify the cost of a digital, traffic count has to be high, this usually means on an urban location where power is close by. Even a costly line extension or Right of Way can be justified.
  2. Digitals are generally not allowed on Interstate Highways, where solar is more likely to be used because no utility power is available.
  3. The open space needed for  the required  40,000W solar array is massive, it’s unlikely the land would be available in an urban environment.

In conclusion, a solar system with a small battery combined with a backup generator is a more practical and less expensive option.  I don’t see battery costs coming down by 80% in the near future.If power is available a conventional backup generator is the best option to keep the board lit during a storm or natural disaster.

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One Comment

  1. I think that was Sean’s point in saying the batteries just aren’t there yet. They are expensive and the technology isn’t their either. Also on your last question #2 this is false about half of all large format Digital billboards are on Interstate