Outdoor solar lighting offer many advantages. There are no wires, they are reliable and very safe. Being low voltage, they are exempt from building regulations and do not need to be fitted by a qualified electrician.Solar garden lights are ridiculously easy to setup. No wires, just set the units where you want. When it goes dark, you can move the lights around until you are happy with the positions. They tend to cost slightly more to buy than wired outdoor lights but they cost almost nothing to run.
You will need to replace the rechargeable batteries occasionally, but almost no maintainance is needed- just brush leaves or snow off the solar panels form time to time. The range of styles and formats to choose from is enormous, so they can be used almost anywhere.
Unfortunately, this is not quite the whole story. Is it ever? Solar outdoor lights do have their problems too.
They need plenty of sunshine for best performance, and you must keep the solar panels free of leaves and other debris. The batteries don’t last forever, with the rechargeable batteries only charging a certain number of times before they become ineffective.
Mains powered outdoor lights will be brighter, and solar lights will get dimmer as the single battery charge fades through the night. They cannot be switched on and off or controlled as a group, since each solar light unit has it’s own power supply controlled by an automatic light level meter.
However, recent advances in both solar cell technology and low energy consumption outdoor LED light technology mean that solar garden lighting is now at least worthy of consideration. In the UK, its use for general outdoor lighting is still limited by the weather, but for decorative garden lighting, or to define paths and drives, it has now come of age. and is valid choice for modern, ecologically sound lighting..
What else should you be aware of when considering solar garden lighting as an option?
Solar LED lighting has many obvious benefits,but as with any purchase, you will get a better result if you consider the pros and cons before you buy. Think about the design of your garden lighting system first.
