Solar Powered Lights For Your Home

Solar powered lights are an environmentally friendly way to add beauty and style to a garden or landscape. Solar powered lights collect energy from the sun's rays and store the energy in a battery, which powers lights at night.

Some lights feature on/off switches, while others can be set to automatically turn on once it is dark out. One advantage of solar powered lights is that they can be used easily outside, as they do not require an external electrical source. This makes solar lights ideal for placing in gardens and parts of the yard that are not easily accessible to a power outlet.

Most solar lights use efficient LED lights, which require less energy to provide the same amount of light as a traditional light bulb. There are several styles of solar powered garden lights. Some are designed to resemble outdoor lamps, and feature traditional-looking shades or sconces. Others are designed to blend in with the surrounding plants, and consist of an imitation rock or other natural feature, which then incorporates a small solar panel and a light, which can be positioned to shine toward a specific part of the garden.

These lights are available with varying fixture colors, coverage distance and lens size, permitting the gardener to choose to spotlight a particular feature or to illuminate a pathway or entire section of the garden. These lights can be located low to the ground, anchored by stakes incorporated into the design of the light, or hung from a hook higher off of the ground.

Solar lighting is also available for accenting decks, patios, and outdoor stairwells. This type of lighting is specifically designed to withstand a significant amount of weight, preventing breakage in the event that an object is placed upon the light or a person steps on the light. Deck lights are designed to blend in with their surroundings, and are usually anchored by a short stem. Installation of this type of light requires drilling if the light is to be mounted to a wooden deck or similar fixture. Solar landscape lighting is designed for larger scale lighting needs. The range of these lights is usually longer than the average walkway or garden solar light. Landscape lighting is used to illuminate signs, flags, trees and other larger objects, and can be used as a spotlight or security light.

Many solar landscape lights are equipped with motion detectors, and turn on only when a person, animal or automobile passes in front of the sensor. Motion-sensitive landscape light is efficient and practical. The best way to use solar power lights is to ensure that the panel is exposed to direct sunlight during the day for as long as possible, so that the battery can charge. While technology has improved over the past few years, yielding solar powered lights that can absorb energy even on a cloudy day, optimum performance will be achieved by placing the part of the light containing the solar panel in a strategic location.

Whether a homeowner or gardener seeks to achieve a dramatic lighting effect, illuminate a pathway, or add subtle lighting effects to landscaping or gardening, solar lighting is available for all kinds of lighting projects.