Home Design Articles

If you need outdoor lighting, and a simple fixture right next to your door just isn’t enough, then you might want to consider solar lights. There are many pros and cons, but if you can accept their flaws they are certainly convenient and will last you a long time.

How Solar Lights Work

Solar lights work much like solar-powered calculators. In order to do this, they have two layers of silicon placed between a conductive coating and a light absorbing coating. One of these layers is left with impurities so that electrons from the sun’s rays attach themselves to it, and when all the impurities are filled, extra electrons are carried to a battery for later use.

Cons: Energy

If this seems like an overly complicated process, it is. This is reflected in the poor efficiency. A solar light has to be placed in an area that is well-lit during the day, or it will not have enough power to do its job when called on. This means no putting them directly under bushes or trees. Even with ideal placement, they will also be affected by rainy or cloudy days.

Pros: Convenience, Longevity

Once you do find a good area for a solar light, though, you can basically forget about them for years while they do their job. They use LEDs, which are exceptionally long-lasting: some types can last for 100,000 hours, or more than 11 years of continuous use. They might outlast things inside your home, like your bathroom lighting. Cords are also unnecessary, which is vital if you want an attractive setup on the way to your door. Nobody wants cords running to each of a dozen path lights, which would not only be ugly but present a tripping hazard.

Cons: Cost

Solar lights can cost twice as much as equivalent setup using cords. However, lighting is a relatively inexpensive feature of the home, and their longevity, convenience, and attractiveness may still make them a better option for you.

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When talking about an energy source, one provider of energy is the sun. Solar garden lights are a wonderful decoration to your garden,as they make the exterior part of your home attractive and elegant. One valuable advantage of this kind of light is that it helps distribute light on your garden without the danger of electrocuting your kids.

From silicon solar, garden lights are available to fit your budget and taste. You can even choose from hanging solar lights, step lights, solar decks, and stake lightning. Finishes and styles of different garden lights are available for you to choose from. Best of all, garden lights cause no harm to the environment, meaning it is nature friendly because it uses a solar power that is generated from the sunlight.

Types of solar garden lights

• Ground solar lights- these are garden lights used for the ground or any surfaces that are flat. These are also called path lights. This kind of outdoor light can be used to illuminate the way through your home and can be used to spot an area.
• Hanging solar garden lights- it can be hung like a solar candle light. And it flickers to be like a lantern.
• Outdoor solar lights for deck or other surface- some of this kind of light can be used on a high surface or even at the ground. It can be mounted everywhere.
• Fence or wall mounted solar lights- this type of light can be used on the wall directly.

In general, solar garden lights are useful in many ways. However, if you buy an expensive outdoor light, the better the quality it has. If you want to make sure that your electric bill will be reduced you can use solar garden lights. In addition, installing solar lights for patio use is a good idea to illuminate your garden.

These lights put on their most impressive deisplay when used in numbers around the garden if placed strategically along a path or interspersed in the garden bed itself. They will automatically come on after dark and will provide you with a most attractive look in your garden.

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Solar garden lights are commonly used in lighting outdoor areas of your home. These kind of lights are almost maintenance-free, inexpensive to use and easy to install. After buying this kind of lighting you would only need to spend for replacement batteries.

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.

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By now you’ve probably heard that solar garden lights are a great way to save money, time, and hassle when you’re trying to install lighting on your property.  They save on utility bills, help keep the environment cleaner, and most importantly save you time and money.  They do however have some downsides.  Solar lights need several hours of direct sunlight every day to keep them powered all night long.  If your yard is shady, or you place them in properly, your solar powered lights will not work nearly as well as they should.  Follow these tips to place your lights in the right spot every time.

Before going out and buying any lights take a survey of your property.  Are the areas are planning on placing your lights opens in direct sunlight?  If they are open to direct sunlight how many hours of sunlight do they get?  Make sure you survey your lawn at several different times during the day.  This is especially important if you have large trees or you are planning on placing the lights close to your house as these fixtures in particular can cast a large shadow that blocks sunlight from reaching your lights.

Next, before you go out and buy an entire system of lights, by a few in place them in the areas that you are put planning on lighting.  Leave them sit for a few days and make sure that they charge up and stay lit all night.  You don’t want to buy an entire set of outdoor flood lights only to have them work occasionally at best in the areas you want to place them.  If you have problems try moving the lights to a different area, or try a new brand of light.  Some lights have better solar panels, batteries or light bulbs and other brands.  These lights will work a little bit better in areas that don’t get the full amount of direct sunlight every day.  Once you’ve done this, congratulations!  You’re ready to install your brand-new lighting system.

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