Probably the only disadvantage of using them would be that they need to be situated somewhere that they would be receiving a lot of sunlight in the day. So if you have a pathway or garden which is shaded, the solar aspect might not work very well for you.

If you still want to use them on a shaded area, then you could probably install a solar panel on top of your roof or in any other spot that would receive a lot of sunlight. This would be a bit more expensive compared the regular solar lights and you would need to run a wire coming from the solar panel going to the lights.

Typically this type of solar lighting could provide around six to twelve hours of light in the evening. This would, of course, depend on the amount of sunlight they received in the day. These lights have a photo sensor, which is already built in and turns the light on as soon as it is dark. They would remain lit up until their batteries are depleted or as the sun rises, whichever would come first. If you need more control many of them have automatic override switches allowing you manual control over the lights features.

Solar decorative garden lights come in a very wide variety of different sizes and styles. You would be able to buy solar spotlights, hanging solar lights for the garden and even specialty lights like swimming pool lights and colored lights. They are available at reasonable prices, however it is always advisable to look for the quality lights instead of just settling for those that are the cheapest. Those cheaper sets of lights might not be able to withstand different weather elements such as extreme storm conditions as well as strong winds.