Solar Lighting Moves from Remote Spots to City Parking Lots... Discovered on 2011-06-21 02:00:12 · http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-06-14/sol-s-sol When it became commercially available two decades ago, outdoor solar lighting was prohibitively expensive, used mainly for locations far from existing electrical grids. In the past, deep-pocketed buyers typically had very specific needs, such as illuminating ammunition depots at which electrical sparks could cause explosions or lighting remote military bases.