Sustainable Outdoor Lighting: Solar Garden Lights
Solar garden lighting is an excellent alternative to conventional outdoor lighting. However, installing conventional outdoor lights can be challenging in some ways. Aside from the expenses incurred from purchasing these outdoor lights, there’s also the expense of hiring an electrician to install the lighting.
Solar lighting is affordable, encourages DIY installation, and it’s easy to relocate. They also spare you the extra costs incurred from paying utility bills. Initially, solar-powered lighting didn’t offer much as they were dim and unreliable. However, the story is different today. Solar technology has dramatically improved, and solar lighting has become more efficient with the introduction of bright LED lighting. As a result, LED bulbs have dominated the lighting market and supplanted the spot once occupied by filament bulbs. LED lighting emits light without emitting heat, which is common in bulbs. As a result, they are just as effective, and they require far less energy to function. This makes them very durable.
Aside from LED bulbs, other improvements in solar lighting technology are the emergence of more potent PV cells, circuitry, and batteries. The new generation of solar lighting can perform all through the year, even during unfavorable weather, with just a slight difference in performance.
Three Types of Solar Garden Lights
Solar garden lights are a great addition to your garden furniture. When in the market for outdoor solar lighting, it’s essential to make a purchase decision considering the function and style. The three major categories of solar garden lighting include:
- Path lights
- Accent lights
- Task lights and spotlights
#1. – Path Lights
As the name describe, they light up paths, driveways, walkways, perimeters, and other areas surrounding your home and in your landscape. They are often used in multiples or pairs to guide a dark path or stairs. Path lights have various positioning options, such as hanging hooks, ground stakes, and flange mounts.
The majority of path lights are designed to direct their light rays downwards. They also have a switch for turning the lights off and on. Their light output and pricing are in the mid-range.
#2. – Garden Accent Lights
These lights give your landscape a pleasant glow. They emit low illumination that’s designed to mark a spot, not light up a pathway or object. Because they emit low illumination, they usually last longer than other types of outdoor solar lighting.
A single charge can produce several nights of usage. This lighting utilizes multi-crystalline photovoltaic cells that enable the lighting to charge even during unfavorable weather or in areas slightly shaded by the sun.
They usually mark or accentuate garden features or landscape hazards such as large rocks to prevent people from tripping over.
#3. – Task Lights or Spotlights
These garden lights produce the highest level of illumination, and they are usually the most expensive lighting option on the market. They are designed to shine a bright light beam on statues, entryways, and plants. A solar task light with high-quality LED bulbs can emit a concentrated light beam equal to 40 watts from an incandescent spotlight.
The majority of solar task lights and spotlights are capable of being positioned in various ways, and their illumination is adjustable in any direction.
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