Applicability of AC/DC Solar Hybrid Street Lighting: A Comparative Study on Reliability and Sustainability in Industrial Parks

Abstract

As Philippine industrial parks transition toward “Green Industry" standards, the demand for lighting infrastructure that balances high operational reliability with decarbonization has intensified. Traditional High-Pressure Sodium and grid-tied LED systems contribute significantly to Scope 2 greenhouse gas emissions due to the nation's coal-heavy electrical grid, while standalone solar street lighting often suffer from a "reliability gap" during the monsoon season, where energy harvest can drop. This study evaluates the applicability of an AC/DC Solar Hybrid Street Lighting System as a resilient middle-ground solution. Utilizing a descriptive-comparative quantitative research design, the study compares the four street lighting systems based on Operational Reliability (Uptime %) and Sustainability (Carbon Footprint). According to the study's findings, the AC/DC hybrid system strikes the ideal balance needed for industrial safety on both sustainability and reliability, while standalone solar maximizes sustainability. The hybrid model, which uses solar DC as the main source and an AC grid fail-safe, guarantees almost zero downtime while significantly lowering indirect carbon emissions, giving developers a solid framework to comply with "Green Industry" regulations without sacrificing operational security.