What does the cost structure of street lamp construction and maintenance include?

Purchasing cost of lamps and light sources
In street lamp construction, the purchase of lamps and light sources is one of the main costs. This part of the cost includes the street lamp body, light source module (such as LED light source, high-pressure sodium lamp, solar module, etc.) and related accessories. The prices of lamps with different light source types, different materials and processes vary greatly. For example, traditional high-pressure sodium lamps are low in price, but have high energy consumption; although the unit price of LED lamps is high, they have better energy-saving effects and long service life. In addition, the purchase of lamps also needs to consider requirements such as protection level and light distribution characteristics, which will affect the cost expenditure.

Cost of lamp poles and basic materials
Street lamp construction requires supporting lamp poles and infrastructure, and related costs are also an important part of the cost. Lamp poles are usually made of steel, aluminum alloy or other alloy materials, and the cost of different materials varies greatly. The height, wall thickness and surface treatment methods of lamp poles (such as hot-dip galvanizing, anti-corrosion coating) will directly affect the price. The cost of basic materials mainly includes cement, steel bars, sand and gravel, etc., which are used to cast the foundation base of street lamps. For high-pole street lamps or special structure street lamps, the basic structure needs to be strengthened, and this part of the cost is relatively high.

Cable and pipeline laying costs
The power supply for street lights requires the laying of cables and pipelines, which accounts for a certain proportion of street light construction. The cable cost depends on the cable type, specification and laying length, and also includes the cost of auxiliary materials such as cable protection tubes and junction boxes. Underground cable laying is more expensive than overhead lines because it involves excavation, backfilling, pipe laying and other processes. In addition, in some special areas (such as crossing roads and bridges), special construction processes may be required, which will also increase costs.

Construction installation and commissioning costs
The construction and installation costs of street light construction include labor and machinery costs for processes such as foundation construction, lamp pole installation, lamp installation, cable connection, and equipment grounding. This part of the cost is greatly affected by the construction environment, project scale and construction period requirements. If the geological conditions in the construction area are complex, the traffic is busy, or night construction is involved, the construction difficulty will increase and the corresponding cost will also increase. After the installation of the lamps and systems is completed, power-on commissioning and performance acceptance are required, which also require a certain amount of investment.

Cost of intelligent control systems and supporting equipment
With the development of intelligent lighting, more and more street lamp projects adopt intelligent control systems such as remote monitoring, dimming, and fault alarm. This part of the cost includes the purchase of hardware equipment such as centralized controllers, communication modules, sensors, and monitoring software, as well as software development and integration costs. Different functional configurations and technical solutions will directly affect the cost expenditure. In addition, the subsequent upgrade, maintenance, and data management investment of the intelligent system must also be considered.

Daily power consumption cost
After the construction of street lamps is completed, daily power consumption is an important part of the maintenance cost. Different types of light sources have different energy consumption levels. For example, high-pressure sodium lamps and metal halide lamps have high power and high energy consumption; LED and solar street lamps are relatively energy-saving and have less electricity expenses in the later stage. The power consumption cost is affected by the power of the lamp, the operating time, the lighting control method, and the regional electricity price, and needs to be reasonably estimated and controlled in the design stage.

Daily inspection and maintenance costs
Street lamps need regular inspections and maintenance during operation to ensure lighting quality and safety. Daily maintenance costs mainly include manual inspection costs, equipment maintenance, and material costs for replacing wearing parts (such as bulbs, power modules, fuses, etc.). For smart street lights, it is also necessary to regularly maintain the monitoring system and communication equipment to prevent system failure due to hardware or software failure. For street lights used in high salt fog, high humidity or corrosive environments, the maintenance frequency of anti-corrosion coatings and structural parts is higher, and the maintenance cost is also increased accordingly.

Fault repair and replacement costs
During use, street lights may fail due to natural disasters, traffic accidents, aging damage, etc. The repair and replacement costs of such emergencies need to be included in the maintenance budget. Fault repair costs include the attendance costs of repair personnel, emergency equipment and material costs, and special construction costs (such as temporary traffic control, night construction, etc.). For severely damaged lamp poles, foundations or lines, they also need to be replaced as a whole or partially reinforced, and the related materials and labor costs are high.

Management and operation costs
The daily management and operation of street lights also require certain expenses. This part of the cost includes the salary of management personnel of the operating unit, office equipment, operation software platform maintenance fees, inspection vehicle operation fees, etc. For PPP projects that introduce social capital operation management, contract management, performance appraisal, service fees, etc. must also be included. Management and operation costs are usually determined by the total number of street lights, the scope of the management area and the management model.

Environmental and policy-related costs
Some regions also need to bear related costs such as environmental testing, emission monitoring, and construction approval in the construction and maintenance of street lights. In addition, some cities may put forward energy-saving transformation and the use of environmentally friendly materials for street light projects in the context of promoting energy conservation and emission reduction and green lighting policies. This part of the investment is also part of the cost. For new energy street lights such as solar energy or wind and solar complementarity, the cost of new energy system construction and grid connection must also be considered.