FAQ About Solar Lighting for Your Landscape

Today's gardener is faced with a variety of choices and options when it comes to sprucing up the exterior of their home. Lighting has become an increasingly trendy thing to add to any exterior. Today, solar landscape lights are very popular and are showing up more and more in driveways, pathways, gardens, and landscapes. The average gardener just starting out may have some questions on whether or not solar lighting is the option they are looking for.

How do solar landscape lights work?

Solar lights work by using the sun's energy taken in during the day and converting it to stored energy that can be used to power light fixtures at night, like a solar lighthouse effect. Solar lights consist of a solar panel that collects the sun's energy and converts it to usable energy. The light consists of a nickel-metal hydride battery that stores the electricity, than uses an LED lamp to emit the light. There is also a sensor or timer that automatically turns the light on when the sun goes down.

What are the advantages?

The most obvious advantages to solar lights is that they are both cost effective and easy to install. They come in so many varieties to choose from and each type takes literally minutes to hook up. Further, they are powered by the sun's energy; so outside of the product cost, they are literally free to run. This comes with the added benefit of conserving energy and being environmentally friendly at the same time.

How do I know solar lights are for me?

If lighting for security is your primary goal for outdoor lighting, you may want to look at conventional lighting so that you know your outdoor lights will remain on. Solar lights may not be the best choice for security measures alone as the lights will only operate as long as the battery does. However if you are looking for accents or aesthetic lighting near seating areas, pools, trees, or other landscaping, solar lighting will be a great asset to your garden. Solar lights are also very effective in complementing any existing security features you have.

How long do the parts last?

The LED portion of the fixture is designed to never burn out over the lifetime of the light which is generally defined by about 25 years. The LED themselves are not replaceable for this reason. The Nickel Metal Hydride batteries are designed to operate from fully charged until discharged like any other battery. These will typically last about 1,000 nights and are very easy to replace when you need to. When the fixture is fully charged, you can expect to get about 10 hours of nighttime use from it.

What kind of lights are there?

There are many different kind of solar lights. Solar lights come as tabletop lanterns, solar lighthouse lights, floating lanterns used in pools, spas and ponds, pathway markers, pole lamps used in marking driveways, and even stepping stones and decorative garden sculpture. Outdoor solar lights come in a large range of designs to suit any landscaping or outdoor purpose. Nowadays, almost every kind of outdoor fixture is available as a solar product, so going solar does not mean your choices are limited.

If you think solar yard lights are the addition your yard needs, you are only limited by your imagination. There are so many varieties of product out there: spotlights, floodlights, motion sensors, garden accents, pool lights, deck railings and post caps, and the list is endless. You can also choose to hide your fixtures so that they can not be seen and are as unobtrusive as possible. Or you can go the opposite direction, and use them strictly for decoration. The choice is entirely up to you. Once you decide what you are looking for in terms of lighting your outdoor experiences, you will be able to find it in solar lighting.

It is easy to create a welcoming ambiance for your outdoor living and you will not waste either time or money doing it. With solar lights, you will see that your yard is always lighted by the sun, even when it is night time.