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Solar Bus Stop Calculator

Enter your shelter count and load — get solar panel size, Li-ion battery, installed cost per shelter, and comparison vs hardwired trenching.

Shelter configuration
shelters
W
ports (10W ea)
Solar bus shelter system
180W panel + 100Ah battery per shelter
Load per shelter60 W
Daily energy per shelter0.84 kWh/day
Solar panel per shelter180W mono panel
Li-ion battery per shelter100 Ah @ 12V
Cost per shelter (installed)$1,580
Total project cost (1 shelters)$1,580
Hardwired alternative cost$2,500
Solar savings vs hardwiring$920 saved
Annual maintenance est.$64/yr
Commuter amenity score5.8/10
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How to Use This Calculator

Enter your shelter count and load

Start with the number of shelters in your project — the calculator sizes each shelter independently, so 10 shelters get 10 self-contained systems. Enter the LED lighting wattage (a small shelter needs 40W; a large illuminated shelter 80-100W), then set the number of USB charging ports. Each port draws up to 10W when in use — the calculator sizes for peak simultaneous use.

Toggle the e-paper display and set location

E-paper displays showing real-time transit arrivals and route info use only 10W — far less than LCD screens which draw 50-150W. If your municipality is considering real-time passenger information, e-paper is the only practical choice for a solar-powered shelter. Location sets the peak sun hours, which determines panel size.

Read the results

The calculator shows solar panel size and Li-ion battery capacity per shelter, installed cost per shelter and total project cost, and how that compares to the hardwired alternative (trenching at $5-15/ft). The commuter amenity score reflects the quality-of-experience upgrade solar enables — lighting, charging, and real-time info that hardwired shelters often lack because utilities won't extend service to low-priority locations.

The Formula

Load per Shelter = LED Watts + (USB Ports × 10W) + Display Watts Daily Wh = Load × 14 operating hours/day Panel Watts = Daily Wh ÷ (Peak Sun Hours × 0.85 efficiency) Battery Ah (12V) = Load × 16 hrs ÷ (12V × 0.80 DoD) Cost per Shelter = Panel + Battery + Controller + Fixtures + Install

The 14-hour operating window covers full nighttime illumination plus daytime charging. Battery autonomy is sized for 16 hours — a full overnight cycle — so the shelter operates through the night even when panels produce nothing. The 0.80 depth-of-discharge is conservative, extending Li-ion battery life beyond 2,000 cycles (5+ years at daily cycling).

Example

Denver RTD — Upgrading 10 suburban bus shelters

Denver Regional Transportation District is evaluating solar for 10 suburban shelters that lack grid power. Each shelter will have 60W LED lighting, 4 USB charging ports, and an e-paper arrival display. Location: Denver, CO at 5.5 PSH.

Shelters10
LED lighting60W per shelter
USB ports4 ports (40W peak)
E-paper displayYes (10W)
LocationDenver, CO (5.5 PSH)

Result

Load per shelter110W
Solar panel120W mono per shelter
Battery65 Ah @ 12V Li-ion per shelter
Cost per shelter~$1,850
Total project (10 shelters)~$18,500
Hardwired alternative~$32,000 (200ft trench × $10/ft × 10 stops)
Solar savings~$13,500 saved vs hardwiring

For a network of 10 shelters that lack adjacent utility poles, solar is the clear winner — no trenching permits, no utility coordination, and full amenities delivered at lower cost. Denver's excellent sunshine makes this especially compelling. Each shelter is fully independent, so a panel failure at one stop doesn't affect the network.

FAQ

The cost comparison depends entirely on trench distance. If a utility pole is 20 feet away, hardwiring is cheaper. But for shelters in suburban areas, parks, or along highway corridors, trenching at $5-15/ft quickly adds up: 200 feet of trench costs $1,000-3,000 per shelter just for the ditch, plus permits, utility connection fees, and ongoing electricity bills. Solar eliminates all of these. At 300+ feet of trench distance, solar is almost always cheaper installed, and there's no monthly electricity bill to manage across dozens of locations.
Lithium iron phosphate (LiFePO4) is the standard for municipal solar shelter installations. It has a 2,000-3,000 cycle life (5-8 years at daily cycling), operates safely from -20°C to 60°C, doesn't require ventilation, and is non-flammable — critical for vandalism-resistant enclosures in public spaces. The higher upfront cost vs lead-acid is offset by longer service life and lower total cost of ownership. Sealed AGM lead-acid is sometimes used for cost-sensitive projects but requires replacement every 2-3 years.
Modern solar bus shelter designs address vandalism directly. Panels are typically mounted at height (2.5-4m) on a tamper-resistant pole or angled roof structure. The battery and electronics are housed in a steel enclosure with anti-tamper fasteners. Tempered anti-reflective glass panels are much harder to break than standard glass. Some transit agencies use ballistic-rated panels in high-vandalism areas. Properly installed systems in major US cities (NYC MTA, Chicago CTA, Denver RTD) have demonstrated 5-10 year service lives with minimal vandalism losses.
USB charging ports on solar shelters are powered directly from the 12V battery through a DC-to-USB converter. They offer USB-A (up to 12W) and increasingly USB-C PD (up to 30W) for fast charging of phones and tablets. The calculator sizes for all ports at 10W peak — in practice, simultaneous use is rare except at extremely busy stops. Smart charge management cuts power if the battery drops below 30% state-of-charge, ensuring lighting is always maintained. Some advanced systems allow remote monitoring of charging port usage via cellular IoT to optimize placement.
The FTA (Federal Transit Administration) does not mandate solar for bus shelters but does fund solar installations through the Urbanized Area Formula Program (Section 5307) and the Bus and Bus Facilities Program (Section 5339). For public installations, electrical components must meet NEC Article 690 (Solar Photovoltaic Systems) and UL 2703 for panel mounting systems. Local building departments require permits for the structure. The ADA requires adequate lighting levels (2 foot-candles minimum) — solar LED fixtures easily exceed this. Contact your regional FTA office for Buy America waiver requirements if using imported equipment.

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