Solar Lighting

No wiring required -- that’s the beauty of solar lighting! These days you can find do-it-yourself solar lighting kits in department stores and garden centers everywhere. Read more on Landscape Lighting.

Solar lighting for your Landscape Design comes in a wide variety of fixture styles. You can find:

• Stake lights for paths and walkways
• Recessed deck lights for stairs and decks
• Post cap lights for deck railings and hot tub enclosures
• Wall mount carriage style lanterns
• Table top solar lights
• Driveway lights
• Stepping stone lights

How Solar Lights Work

Solar landcape lights consist of four main components: a solar panel or photovoltaic cell, a rechargeable battery, an LED lamp, and a light sensor or timer.

When placed in full or partial view of the sun, the solar panel (usually located somewhere on the top of the light fixture) collects the sun's energy and converts it to electricity that is stored in a rechargeable NiMH (nickel-metal hydride) battery. When the light level drops below a certain point detected by the light sensor, the solar lights are automatically activated. The LED lamps that emit the light are super energy efficient because they only emit light, and not heat like conventional incandescent bulbs. The lights remain on until the batteries are fully discharged or until an automatic timer turns the lights off.

Solar Light Maintenance and Care

Generally, a fully charged solar garden light should provide you with eight to ten hours worth of light before the battery fully discharges. The LEDs themselves are built into the light fixture and cannot be removed or replaced. However, it’s unlikely they will burn out with normal use. LEDs bulbs are designed to last for the life of the product, usually 20 to 25 years.

The rechargeable battery, while designed to cycle from fully charged to discharged, may not be able to hold its charge after a year or two, and it will then need to be replaced. Some manufacturers state the batteries should last at least 1000 nights before replacing. The good news is these items are inexpensive and easy to install.

Things to Consider

Before making an investment in solar lighting for your garden, there are a few things to consider.

Solar lights are not as bright as conventional incandescent lights and other types of low voltage lighting. With that in mind, consider what you want the lighting to accomplish. Ambient or atmosphere lighting does not need to be bright. Area lighting for paths and stairs, however, requires more light for safety and security. The number of LEDs used in the fixture will give you an idea of how bright the light will be. One to three LEDs is common. Solar lights also emit a different quality of light that does not create the same look and feel as other type of lighting.

But you may find in the end that the advantages far outweigh your concerns. Solar lighting is quick and easy to install, friendly to the environment, and decorative as well as functional.