Road safety in cold and snowy winter areas has always been a key challenge in municipal engineering and traffic management. The reduced visibility on the road caused by snow and ice has significantly increased the risk of driving at night. Traditional reflective road studs rely on the reflection of vehicle lights. Their effectiveness is greatly reduced in heavy snow coverage or low-light conditions, making it difficult to meet the safety warning requirements.
Solar road studs, through active light-emitting technology, can independently provide continuous lighting in the dark, significantly enhancing the recognition of road contours at night. However, the special climatic conditions in cold regions also pose strict tests to their performance.
Next, NOKIN will start from the core challenges posed by cold regions to solar road studs, elaborating on the key points of product design, installation and construction standards, and maintenance procedures suitable for low-temperature and snowy scenarios. By combining industry standards, it will provide a set of practical selection, deployment, and operation and maintenance solutions for road facility engineers, municipal procurement personnel, and winter road maintenance teams.
The unique climate and geographical conditions in cold regions can affect the stability of solar road studs from multiple dimensions such as energy supply, structural safety, and optical performance. The following are the five core challenges:
After snowfall in winter, the photovoltaic panels of solar road studs are prone to being covered with snow, which makes it impossible for them to effectively absorb solar energy during the day. Even a thin layer of snow can reduce the charging capacity by more than 60%, directly affecting the duration and brightness of the light at night. Especially in scenarios where there is continuous snowfall or the accumulated snow is difficult to slide naturally, the road studs may come to a "standstill" due to insufficient energy supply.
Conventional batteries or capacitors will experience significant performance degradation in low-temperature environments: at -20℃, the capacity of ordinary lithium batteries may only be 50% to 70% of that at room temperature, and the charging and discharging efficiency will also decline simultaneously. What is more serious is that low temperatures may cause the electrolyte inside the battery to solidify or the active substances to react slowly. Long-term use will also accelerate battery aging and shorten its service life.
Snow removal is a routine operation for road maintenance in cold regions. However, when the snow removal blade cuts across the road at high speed, it is very likely to directly collide with the road studs protruding from the road surface. Traditional high-protruding road studs may be lifted by blades, have their shells cracked or their internal structures damaged. According to some municipal maintenance reports, solar road studs that do not adopt snow shovel compatibility designs can have a damage rate of over 30% in one snow season.
After the snow melts, it is easy to form thin ice or frost on the surface of the road studs. This not only blocks the light-emitting components and reduces the light penetration, but also changes the friction coefficient of the road stud surface. On icy roads, the ice film on the surface of road studs may increase the risk of vehicle skidding, while the attenuation of reflective effects will weaken the visibility of the road profile at night.
In high-latitude cold regions, the duration of winter sunshine is short. In some areas, the average daily sunshine duration is only 3 to 4 hours, and cloudy and smoggy days occur frequently. The limited duration of sunlight and the low intensity of light have significantly reduced the power generation of solar road studs, making it difficult to meet the energy demand for continuous light emission at night. Especially on consecutive cloudy and snowy days, the problem of energy shortage is more prominent.
The shell design of solar road studs in cold regions should give priority to the compatibility of snow shovel operations. The key technical details are as follows:
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Design Key Points |
Recommendation Plan |
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Top cover material |
Use high-strength stainless steel or tempered glass |
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Installation form |
Low protruding height (≤15 mm) or recessed installation design |
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Structural design |
Reinforced edges with rounded-corner treatment to prevent snowplow blade hooking |
This type of design can effectively prevent the direct collision between snow shovel blades and road studs, reducing the damage rate during the snow season.
Energy storage is the core bottleneck of solar road studs in cold regions and needs to be optimized from two aspects: battery type and protection circuit.
To make up for the insufficient low light in winter, photovoltaic modules need to be optimized in both efficiency and structure:
In cold regions, the temperature difference between day and night is large, and freeze-thaw cycles are frequent. The encapsulation and sealing performance of solar road studs are of vital importance
Low-adhesion coatings are the research and development trend of solar road studs in cold regions. By applying hydrophobic or low surface energy coatings on the surface of the road studs, the adhesion time of ice and snow can be reduced. Data from some solar road spike manufacturers show that after adopting this technology, the natural shedding time of ice and snow on the surface of the road spikes has been shortened by 40%, effectively reducing the cost of manual cleaning.
Scientific installation and layout can maximize the usage effect of solar road studs in cold regions. The following are implementation guidelines that can be directly put into practice:
Prioritize installation on the main shoulder of the road, the edge of the lane or the median strip, avoiding the core collision area during snow removal operations.
Adopt low protrusion (≤15mm) or recessed installation. The burial depth should be such that the top of the road spike is slightly lower than the road surface or level with the road surface, reducing the risk of being lifted by snow shovel blades.
Avoid potholes and waterlogged areas on the road surface to prevent long-term soaking by melted snow and accumulated water.
The spacing of solar road studs should be maintained at 8 to 10 meters. On dangerous sections such as curves, intersections and slopes, the spacing should be increased to 5 to 6 meters to enhance the warning effect.
If the solar road studs support synchronous control, they can be set to flash synchronously in the same direction to enhance the dynamic warning capability, especially in snowy and foggy weather, the effect is particularly remarkable.
Warning areas are demarcated based on the curvature and slope of the road. In dangerous areas, a combination scheme of "dense layout + high-frequency flashing" is adopted.
In the Northern Hemisphere, it is preferred to face 15° east-south to 15° west-south to maximize the reception of winter sunlight. The Southern Hemisphere is oriented towards the northeast-west range.
The photovoltaic panels are set at a slight slope of 3° to 5°, which not only ensures the reception of sunlight but also facilitates the sliding of snow.
On sloping sections, the installation direction of road studs should be parallel to the slope surface to prevent rainwater and snow from accumulating on the panels.
Communicate in advance with the municipal snow removal department to clarify the snow removal width, operation route and speed limit (it is recommended that the snow removal speed be ≤40km/h), and ensure that the solar road spike layout is compatible with the snow removal plan.
Concealed signs should be set up in the area where solar road studs are installed to remind snow shovels to avoid the core area.
The environment in cold regions is complex. It is recommended to adopt the implementation path of "pilot - optimization - promotion" :
Select typical sections of roads (such as mountain bends, urban main roads, and highway shoulders) for small-scale pilot projects, with no less than 50 pilot projects.
Continuously monitor for three months (covering the entire snow season), and record key data: power generation, luminous duration, damage rate, and maintenance frequency.
Based on the pilot data, optimize the product selection, installation density and layout plan, and then promote it across the entire road network.
The maintenance of solar road studs in cold regions should be combined with seasonal characteristics, and a periodic inspection mechanism should be established to ensure long-term stable operation.
Remove snow, ice shells and salt stains from the photovoltaic panels and light-emitting lenses to avoid obstruction.
Check whether there are any collision marks on the outer shell of the road studs and whether water has entered the sealing area.
Randomly inspect 10% of the road studs to test their luminous brightness and flickering state.
Thoroughly clean the surface of the road studs to remove residual salt and dirt.
Check the battery voltage. Batteries with a voltage lower than 3.2V should be replaced in a timely manner.
Check if the sealant is aged or cracked. Reseal it if necessary.
Test the photovoltaic charging efficiency. If it is lower than 80% of the standard value, check whether the panel is damaged.
Conduct a comprehensive inspection of the mechanical structure of the road studs and replace the damaged shells and lenses.
Check the battery capacity. Replace the battery in time if it has declined by more than 30%.
Adjust the installation Angle of the road studs to ensure the photovoltaic is oriented optimally.
Check the synchronization control function to ensure the consistency of the flicker.
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Fault Phenomenon |
Possible Causes |
Troubleshooting Steps |
Solutions |
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The photovoltaic panel is completely dark / the battery is dead / the controller is faulty |
Panel not clean Battery failure Controller malfunction |
Check if the panel is clean Test the battery voltage Check the controller indicator lights |
Clean the panel Charge or replace the battery Repair the controller |
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Unstable flickering |
Battery attenuation, low temperature, poor contact |
Test the battery capacity Check the ambient temperature Check the terminal blocks |
Replace the battery Activate the low-temperature protection mode Tighten the wiring |
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Insufficient brightness |
Insufficient photovoltaic charging, lens contamination, LED aging |
Check the power generation data Clean the lens Test the luminous efficiency of LEDs |
Optimize the installation angle Replace the lens Replace the LED module |
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Mechanical damage |
Snow-removal collision, vehicle crushing, or other external impacts |
Check the casing and installation base for mechanical damage Check surrounding road markings |
Replace the damaged parts Adjust the installation position or method |
Conduct a comprehensive inspection once in the middle of the snow season (January) and once after the snow season (March). Conduct a partial inspection after the blizzard.
Conduct a comprehensive inspection once after the snow season; Conduct a local inspection once every two heavy snowfalls.
Conduct a pre-winter inspection and a post-snow season check once each, without the need for additional patrols.
When purchasing solar road studs for cold regions, it is necessary to pay attention to relevant industry standards and certifications to ensure that the products meet the engineering requirements.
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Standard Type |
Key Standard Number |
Core Requirements |
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Optical Performance |
EN 12352, ASTM D4062 |
Night luminous intensity, visible distance, flicker frequency |
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Mechanical Strength |
EN 1463-1, ASTM D6374 |
Compressive strength ≥ 20 tons, impact resistance |
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Snow-Shovel Compatibility |
Manufacturer-defined standards |
Snow-plough damage rate ≤ 5% after operation |
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Protection / Sealing Requirements |
IEC 60529 |
IP67 / IP68 protection rating |
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Customized Low-Temperature Performance |
Manufacturer-defined test protocols |
Ensure stable operation from –40°C to 60°C |
The following acceptance indicators should be clearly included in the procurement contract to avoid disputes later:
The core value of solar road studs lies in enhancing the safety of night driving, and their benefits are mainly reflected in:
To accurately assess the benefits, it is recommended to collect the following data:
The compliance rate of luminous duration on cloudy and snowy days.
A1: If the photovoltaic panels are completely covered with snow, the solar road studs cannot be effectively charged during the day, and their luminous duration at night will be shortened by more than 50%, or they may not light up at all.
A2: Road studs that do not adopt snow shovel compatibility design are prone to damage, while products that comply with the Snow-Plowable standard can effectively avoid risks. This type of road spike usually adopts a low protrusion height of ≤15mm or a recessed design, and is equipped with a high-strength shell, which can withstand the direct impact of snow shovel blades.
A3: The capacity of conventional batteries may drop to only 50% at -20 ℃, but dedicated low-temperature batteries can operate normally. It is recommended to choose the improved LiFePO4 battery or capacitor combination solution. This type of battery, through temperature compensation algorithms and low-temperature protection circuits, can still maintain over 70% of its capacity in an environment of -30 ℃.
A4: Targeted selection is required: For photovoltaic modules, choose high-efficiency cells with a conversion efficiency of ≥23%. The cells should be dedicated low-temperature models that start at -40 ℃, and the shells should be made of freeze-thaw resistant materials (such as engineering plastics that can withstand cycles from -40 ℃ to 60℃).
The demand for road safety in cold and snowy regions has driven the upgrading of solar road studs from general-purpose types to those specifically designed for cold areas. The application effect of solar road studs in cold regions ultimately depends on the synergy of technical selection, scientific installation and standardized maintenance. Choosing the right solar road studs specifically designed for cold regions can significantly enhance the visibility of roads at night in winter, reduce the risk of traffic accidents, and achieve a dual improvement in safety and cost-effectiveness.
