Monday, December 6, 2010

Solar Garden Lights For Your Home

Versatility
Most people think that lights powered by the sun have to be short, black lights with little solar panels on the top. But the latest lights come in all shapes and sizes. Suppliers are now offering everything from floating pond lights to external panel shed lights that are often used in bus shelter and commercial applications. Lamp post lights, pond lights, umbrella lights, and table lights can all be powered by the sun these days. And the aesthetics are improving as well. From copper and aluminum to earth tones and neon, these lights come in a wide variety of colors to fit any theme.
Brightness
Do you want to add some mood lighting to your backyard without impacting your power bill? Or do you want to light up the barbecue area so you can actually see what you're cooking? Solar garden lights can do both of these things with ease. With a huge variety of bulb brightness and color options, virtually any need can be met with these lights. Usually the brighter the light, the larger the panel needed to power it. The advancement of light emitting diode (LED) bulbs has allowed for wider application of solar lighting. These bulbs use far less energy because they are actually off half the time, they just switch off and on so quickly that you can't see the 'off' phase. So you can power a brighter bulb off a smaller panel since it requires less energy.
Installation
Without a doubt, one of the coolest things about lighting your outdoor spaces with photovoltaic lights is the ease of installation. In fact, its often the main reason why people choose them. Because electric cords are not necessary to power the units, they can be installed very quickly and easily. Many lights are often just stuck directly into the soil or grass and they're done. Others may require some minor drilling and bolting. So set up your lights, let them charge for awhile, and start enjoying your lighted garden!
Choosing the Location
Small garden lights with integrated solar panels need to be exposed to the sunshine of course to absorb the sun's energy. But it doesn't need to be exposed to the sun all day to still shine at night. Many lights need only a couple hours of sunshine to generate a few hours of light at night. Most people don't need lights that burn all night anyway. If you need light in areas that are usually shaded, there are lighting systems with separate panels. These systems can be installed with the bulb housing in the shade and the panel installed nearby but in the sunshine.
Solar Sensors
Nearly all solar lights have electric eyes that tell the light to turn off and on based on daylight. So as soon as the sun goes down the lights turn on and as soon as the sun comes up they turn off. Many have manual controls as well so you can control them yourself.