Solar Powered Lights

There has been a massive boom in the utilization of solar powered lights over the past 15 years in both commercial and domestic environments and this trend shows no sign of stopping. The increased interest in this area stems primarily from the massive portability and versatility that solar power offers.

Lighting generally does not use a great deal of power meaning that these solar powered lights can be positioned practically anywhere in the world (even in gloomy England). Not only do solar powered lights offer amazing portability but they also run on an entirely abundant, entirely free and entirely clean power supply.

Uses of solar powered lighting

This page is covers some of the more common uses of solar powered lights. Follow the links for product information and reviews.

Garden lights

Solar powered garden lights have been around for years and they allow gardeners all over the world to light their gardens at night without higher energy bills and without the need to bury cables all over the place. Solar patio lights and solar deck lights also come in a range of sizes and styles.

Christmas lights

Christmas is a time when money is already tight so treat yourself to a present this year which will save you money and our climate. Solar powered Christmas lights are a relatively new product on the market and they have become extremely popular. People spend fortunes on electricity bills for lighting at time when things are already tight. Solar fairy lights and solar string lights are a great examples of the portability and versatility of solar power.

Yard and shed

Most solar companies stock a range of solar yard lights and solar flood lights which come with brackets and fittings meaning that they can be placed pretty much anywhere (as long as there is some daylight). This means that once you've bought the lights you'll never need to worry about them again and they won't cost you a dime.

Security lights

In many cases, solar powered security lights need to be fixed in places without direct access to mains power which has meant an obvious partnership with solar power. Security light kits usually come with a solar powered motion sensor, battery and light all together.

Solar powered flood lights

Much like solar security lights, a solar powered flood light offers a wide range of different advantages and uses both domestically and commercially.

Solar string lights

One of the most common uses of solar power in lighting is in solar string lights, or fairy lights as they are known in the UK. Solar power comes into its own here as strong lights are usually needed a long or impractical distance away from another reliable power source.

Home lighting

People also utilize the sun for lighting in their homes. Systems like this are usually used to power other appliances aswell and usually come with much larger solar panels which are fitted to the roof. Follow this link if you are interested in home solar power systems.

Solar flag pole lights

In mamy cases, flag poles are a long way from a traditional power source, or are located in such a way that cables have to be strung over the front of homes or awkwardly jammed in bedroom window. Solar flag pole lights remove this inconvenience while lowering fuel costs and reducing dependency on harmful and expensive fossil fuels.

Lights and birds..

One way of lighting up your garden at night is by using bird feeders, a fairly new concept which see a seemingly standard bird feeder at day turn into an object of glowing beauty and light at night. Take a look at my list of the top 5 solar bird feeders.

Other uses of solar lights

As I mentioned before, solar power can be used pretty much anywhere and other uses of solar powered lights include the following. Traffic lights Porch lights Fence lights Spot lights Pool lights Streetlights Bike lights Torches And the list could go on forever.

How solar lights work

In most cases, especially for smaller solar powered lights like garden and security lights, a small PV (photovoltaic) solar cell is attached to the device which during daylight hours charges a small battery usually located inside the device. During daylight hours this battery comes alive and supplies power to the light. For a more detailed overview follow this link to see how solar power works.

There is no sunshine..

If the sun doesn't come out much where you live then don't worry, most solar energy lights need an incredibly small amount of power to make them run so they will not be affected. For bigger lighting systems a bigger solar panel and a bigger battery is needed but the process is more or less the same.

While lights which rely on energy from the sun cannot give off as high a voltage that mains operated lights do, they do offer other advantages which compensate. If you are looking for a really high powered lamp like a spotlight or floodlight etc then solar power might not be your best option.

Final note

Power from the sun have a place in every aspect of out lives and humanity is still only at the beginning of its solar journey. If you are looking for more information about solar power or have a specific question then please feel free to contact me.

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