Solar lights make a great addition to your landscape, especially if you want to draw your guests’ attention to a garden feature or highlight the exteriors at night. These lights can illuminate your driveways and walkways. Not only are they affordable, but solar lighting is easy to install.

Solar Outdoor Lighting for Your Yard

When it comes to going green with your energy, most people think about using solar panels, but these are quite expensive. If you want a cheaper and an efficient way to utilize solar power, install solar outdoor lights. That way, you will not need any power source except the sun. While solar lights are an eco-friendly and innovative way to light up your home’s exteriors, they come with a set of disadvantages. It’s important that you weigh the pros and cons of solar outdoor lighting before installing them in your yard.

How Can You Use Solar Power for Your Exteriors?

You have seen the solar panels installed on the roof of commercial and residential buildings. If you have used one before, you know how these lights work. They drive power from the sun and convert it into electricity. That’s how solar panels keep the lights in your house on. Now, solar-powered landscape lights work in the same way. The only difference is that these lights operate on a smaller scale.

These lights are available in various forms, including the strands of bulbs to small walkway and driveway lights. One thing that each pattern shares in common is the solar panel that’s installed on top of the light feature. Solar lighting has many advantages other than its cost-efficient nature. They brighten the outdoor living space and illuminate your patios, pathways, and driveways. You get all these benefits without having to rely on an electrical connection. Since it doesn’t involve any electrical connection, these solar power lights are pretty easy to install. But, are they good for all spaces?

Here are the benefits of using solar-powered outdoor lights for your yard.

No Need for any Electrical Connection

No electricity means there is no need for installing wires. You can install the lights wherever you want. It also means you can install in far corners of your exteriors where electrical wires can’t be used.

Easy Installation

You don’t have to call a professional electrician to install outdoor lighting, although it is highly recommended that you take professional help for a smoother and more successful installation. All you have to do is collect a set of solar-powered lights and hang them or stake them into the ground. Note that the lights will not work immediately. Since they operate on solar energy, it takes them time to get charged and work. However, depending on the sunlight your space receives on a specific day, you should be able to see the lighting effects at night. Wait for these bulbs to get charged fully, so they light up and enhance your landscape.

Great Savings Potential

The biggest advantage of these outdoor lighting is the affordability. You can enjoy long-term savings with these solar-powered outdoor lights. These are different from your regular wired lights that raise your monthly utility bills. You can keep these lights on an entire day without worrying about the electricity units increasing rapidly. These lights have no impact on your utility bills, making them the most economical exterior lights for your space.

Let’s say you use a 100-watt bulb strand in your exteriors and pay $70 annually. If you use solar-powered lights instead, you can keep these $70. Besides that, solar-powered lights tend to last longer than LED bulbs. These lights will work well for the 2-3 years before you need to replace the batteries. You also get sufficient time to make the most of your initial investment. The best part is that the cost of solar lights keeps getting cheaper as technology advances.

Minimal Maintenance

Since these lights do not operate on electricity, they require minimal maintenance. These bulbs have a service life of more than 20,000 hours, making them a perfect choice for homeowners looking for cost-effective and long-lasting lighting for their exteriors. These units are self-contained, meaning they don’t require any heavy maintenance or effort on your end. Give them a quick wipe once every few days to remove moisture, dirt, and dust buildup, and they will look as good as new. You also need to change batteries occasionally, but that’s only every 2-3 years.

Cons

Not a Bright as Wired Lights

Solar-powered lights might enhance your landscape, but these are not as bright as the wired lights. These bulbs offer as much light as a 40-watt wired bulb. There are brighter options available on the market. Although these lights are pretty good at brightening up your exteriors, they last for only a couple of hours. If you need robust lighting for security purposes, you should rather rely on LED bulbs that tend to last longer and deliver brighter lights.

Inconsistent Lighting

The biggest problem with outdoor lighting is that they rely on sunlight to operate. While they don’t need wires and electrical units to operate, these lights must be placed in areas that receive adequate sunlight. The dark patios and covered areas are not the best options for solar-powered lights. This also means that your solar bulbs will not be charged on stormy days. As soon as the light is out, you are going to have to wait for the next day so that these lights get fully charged in the sun. If you want consistent lighting for security purposes and brighter lights, your best bet is wired lighting.

Conslusion

Overall, solar-powered lights make an effective choice for areas that receive adequate sunlight. If these lights are charged fully, they will operate without any inconsistency or problems at night. For other parts of your space, you can use wired lights instead. Call professional electricians on tel:+1-587-604-6360 and learn more about the benefits of solar lighting. They will tell you whether or not it makes a good fit for your exteriors.