Streetleaf is challenging builders and developers to rethink how they light their streets.
Opposed to traditional wiring, flickering bulbs, and outages during increased weather events, the manufacturer’s emerging solar-powered product offers street lighting powered by renewable energy, reducing reliance on traditional power grids and cutting carbon emissions.
To learn more about how their innovative solution is setting new standards for safety, reliability, and sustainability in community development, BUILDER spoke with Liam Ryan, CEO of Streetleaf.
What’s Streetleaf’s elevator pitch to developers and builders?
Solar-powered streetlights offer a cost-effective, reliable solution that enhances the safety, and comfort of residents, setting developments apart as something special. There is zero upfront cost to developers for planning, lights, or installation. We can also install each light in about 15 minutes with no need for trenching or running wires so we are in and out quickly at any stage of development.
What inspired Streetleaf to focus on solar-powered streetlights, and how did the company identify the need for this solution?
Streetleaf was born out of a master-planned community project called Epperson. The 5,000-lot community in Florida, had no streetlights, and needed a solution urgently as homeowners began to move into phase one. The developers—Metro Development—on the project looked for options and could not find anything that could meet the timeline and quality standards needed, so they decided to design their own lights.
Kartik Goyani, a principal at Metro, took the idea external as he realized that other developers could benefit as well. In 2020, Liam Ryan, who has strong family ties to the land development industry, was appointed CEO to grow the company.
How do your solar-powered streetlights compare in terms of cost and efficiency to traditional electric streetlights?
Streetleaf’s streetlights are lower in cost and higher in efficiency, compared to traditional streetlights.
It can cost around $4,000 to $10,000 to install a traditional grid-tied streetlight depending on location if it is being installed on undeveloped or previously developed land. Streetleaf charges $0 for installation to our service plan customers and we can install with very minimal disruption to landscaping. Our lights also run on 100% renewable energy with no reliance on grid power.
How can solar-powered streetlights help enhance safety and security in neighborhoods during power outages or emergencies?
Streetleaf’s streetlights have a battery that supports the lights staying on for five days even in the worst conditions. Since our first installation in 2019, our lights have been through six direct hits from hurricanes and numerous additional tropical storms. You can click here for our latest post hurricane report showing about a 0.4% failure rate on our lights in the path of Hurricane Milton.
What is the lifespan of your solar-powered streetlights, and what maintenance do they require over time?
The batteries are designed to last eight to 10 years. Lights are designed to last 10 to 12 years. Solar panels have a lifespan of 25-plus years. Streetleaf provides these routine replacements as part of the service plan, and the company monitors all lights 24/7/365 to ensure they’re working properly.
How do Streetleaf’s streetlights perform in areas with less direct sunlight or during overcast days?
We always say “you can still get sunburnt on a cloudy day” and that concept holds true for the Streetleaf streetlights. Meaning, even on a cloudy day the solar panels are absorbing sunlight and storing the energy to power the light when the sun goes down.
How customizable are your solar-powered streetlights in terms of design, size, and light intensity to meet different community needs?
The specifications of our lights are comparable to grid-tied lights for local (single-lane), and collector (double-lane) roads. We keep it simple for our customers knowing that we can meet their street and area lighting needs with these two sizes which we call Streetleaf AVE and Streetleaf BLVD. We offer both sizes in two aesthetic designs: modern and a classic bellhead. Our in-house engineers will design to IES standards, local ordinances, or builder requirements.
What are the main challenges Streetleaf faces in promoting solar-powered streetlights, and how do you overcome them?
Nobody notices street lights until you need them. At Streetleaf, we are opening everyone’s eyes to a product and industry that has been stagnant for 50 years, and we’re bringing light and innovation, really and truly, to 2025 and beyond.
We’re the biggest thing in light, since the sun.
