In short: Solmast supplies solar street lights, steel poles and LED heads from Kunming, China, to contractors and distributors in Côte d’Ivoire. Each offer includes a lighting calculation with the IES file, an energy balance sized for June, the wettest and dullest month in Abidjan, test documents and samples. Shipments go with a certificate of conformity under the Ivorian VoC programme.
Abidjan’s long rainy season makes it one of the hardest sites for solar lighting in our simulations: a light sized exactly to June was dark about 13 nights a year, while 30 % more panel removed the problem.
What Ivorian tenders ask for, and what we provide
| Typical requirement | What we provide |
|---|---|
| Local bidder or importer of record | We supply the Ivorian contractor, distributor or developer. |
| VoC certificate of conformity | Documents prepared with one of the appointed agencies before shipment. |
| Lighting design and energy balance | Calculation with the IES file; energy balance for June. |
| Test reports for the offered model | In the producing factory’s name with our authorisation. |
| Documents in French on request | Datasheets and offers can be provided in French. |
| Warranty and spares | Warranty terms in writing; spare parts list with the offer. |
Sized for Abidjan
We simulated a solar street light night by night on ten years of NASA daily sunshine data (2015–2024). For Abidjan, the worst month averages 3.97 kWh/m²/day (June).
| Design | Dark nights per year in the simulation |
|---|---|
| Panel sized exactly to the worst month, 3 nights of battery | 13.2 |
| Panel 30 % larger, 2 nights of battery | 0 |
| Panel 30 % larger, 3 nights of battery (our usual design) | 0 |
Our own simulation; see how many days of autonomy a solar street light needs for the method. Every offer states the panel, battery and dimming profile so the result can be checked.
Recommended configurations
| Road | Typical class | Configuration |
|---|---|---|
| Residential street, market road | P3–P4 | All-in-one solar street light, 6–8 m pole |
| Town centre, collector road | P1–P2 or M5 | Split system or high-output all-in-one, 8–9 m pole |
| Main road, dual carriageway | M3–M4 | Split system with battery high on the pole, or grid LED street lights |
| Junctions, roundabouts, yards | C classes | High masts or double-arm poles |
Import documents
Côte d’Ivoire’s Verification of Conformity (VoC) programme requires a certificate for regulated products with an FOB value of €1,525 or more; electrical products and renewable energy products are in scope. The certificate is issued by an appointed agency (Bureau Veritas, Cotecna, Intertek or SGS) on test reports and an inspection. Goods without it are refused at customs.
How to order from Côte d’Ivoire
| Step | What happens |
|---|---|
| 1. Send the tender or road data | Bill of quantities, specification, road widths, pole spacing and the lighting class or lux target. |
| 2. Offer and engineering | Configuration, lighting calculation with IES file, energy balance for Abidjan, documents list and warranty terms. |
| 3. Samples | Sample light for your bid or approval. |
| 4. Order and production | Production to the approved sample; video updates on request. |
| 5. Inspection and certificate | Third-party inspection and the import certificate of conformity before shipment. |
| 6. Shipment | FOB, CIF or DAP, with packing list and installation guide. |
Our commitments
| Commitment | Detail |
|---|---|
| Reply and quotation | We reply within one working day and normally quote within two working days once we have the project data. |
| Engineering with the offer | A lighting calculation with the IES file and an energy balance for your site, so evaluators can check the design. |
| Samples | Samples or prototypes for approval before production, with photos and video. |
| Factory visit or video audit | Visit our partner production bases near Kunming, or ask for a live video tour of the workshops and your order. |
| Third-party inspection | SGS, Bureau Veritas, Intertek or your own inspector before shipment. |
| Terms | FOB, CIF or DAP quotations; OEM marking under your own brand on request. |
| First order from your market | Sample terms for a first order from a new market can be discussed, case by case. Ask us when you send the project. |
We work with contractors and distributors in Côte d’Ivoire. Distributors who want to carry Solmast under their own marking can ask about OEM supply. For the tender side, read our guide to importing solar street lights from China.