Holiday lighting is a traditional display that is found throughout residential communities all over the world. While some choose basic outdoor Christmas lights, others choose to go above and beyond to create a dazzling, magnificent light show. If this is not your first year for decorating, you may already have lights stored away in the garage for your display. If this is your first time to decorate, or if you need to add to your collections, take a look at the new and advanced solar Christmas lights.
While solar-powered lighting is not new, manufacturers have recently expanded their product lines to include both pathway and string Christmas lighting for both energy efficiency and convenience. Several factors should be considered when purchasing solar string lights for Christmas, including their brilliance, color scheme, brightness, durability and cost.
Perhaps the most beneficial feature of solar powered Christmas lights is the fact that you no longer have to plan your lighting scheme around the location of your electrical outlets. In previous years, hanging holiday lights may have been a hassle, however finding power outlets to run the whole show was even more so. Now, you don’t have to locate your power outlets and run multiple extension cords, since the Christmas lights will be powered not by electricity, but by the sun’s rays. Gone are the days of your yard looking like an extension cord factory during the day, just so it can be beautiful at night.
If you are wondering how this works, the answer is simple: solar collector panels. A small solar collector is connected to the string of lights, It recharges its batteries throughout the day and stores the power for the dark hours. When installing the lights, it is important to make sure the power panel is facing the sun and not blocked by trees or any other objects so that you get a full charge every day. Along with avoiding the need for multiple power cords, these solar powered Christmas lights require no on and off switch. They have a photocell that will turn them on just before dark and then turn them back off when the sun rises in the morning.
Quality solar lights can be used in any weather. Whether you live in a warmer region, or one that has lots of snow, rain and hail, these string light fixtures will be able to withstand the brutality of the elements. Because most solar lighting products are constructed of high-efficiency polycrystalline solar cell equipment, the charge on even the murkiest day will allow your light display to shine brilliantly for many hours each night. These solar lights are also far safer that the electric lights that are commonly found in and outside of homes. Because there is no electric current running through a solar powered lighting string, they are much safer to work with and certainly much safer for your family, if they come in contact with them. If none of the other benefits sparked your interest, the ability to decorate in the safest manner just might have.
The size of your project as well as the look you are trying to achieve will determine the type of solar fixture you need to purchase. Lighting fixtures come in the standard multi-colored strings, and also more advanced alternating settings. Lights can come from a dim 50 Watt power up to a more vibrant 102 Watt; what you choose depends on the feeling you are trying to convey. For larger areas such as trees and bushes, solar net lights are the perfect solution for even and convenient set up and take down. Also consider solar icicle lights for trimming the eaves of your house and other high areas.
There are many benefits to using solar Christmas lights. With these fixtures, you can easily decrease your electric bill while increasing safety throughout your home and yard during the holiday season. Take advantage of the benefits and styling of solar-powered lighting, and create your own decorative masterpiece this Christmas season.
Solar garden lights have become quite popular recently. One of the main reasons for this is the drop in prices for them. Now you can purchase solar lights not only at specialty shops, but also home improvement stores, like Lowes and Home Depot, and discount stores, like Walmart, Kmart and Target. Everybody has jumped on the solar lighting bandwagon lately.
If you already installed, you may be asking yourself if you should switch to solar lighting. If you have an expensive or elaborate low voltage lighting design already in place, and it is working well for you, the answer is no. It doesn’t make sense to rip out thousands of dollars worth of lighting, just to “go green” with solar lighting.
If you just have a few lights in place, and either they don’t work well, or you need to add more, then the answer changes to yes. There are many advantages to using solar lights to illuminate your landscape, and here are the main four:
Solar lights are typically less expensive than low voltage lights. Plus, you can buy just one light, if that is what you need. Traditional low voltage lights come in sets with the lights, a transformer and the wiring you need to hook it all together. It wasn’t practical to purchase just one or two lights, as you would still need the transformer and the wiring. Along with the lower initial purchase costs, you won’t need to pay a professional to install your solar lights, as this is a project that can be completed by most homeowners without assistance.
Most solar powered garden lights use LED bulbs. While not as bright as other types of garden lighting bulbs, they are practically maintenance free and can last up to 10 years. Additionally, you don’t have to worry about damaging the low voltage wiring while you are working in your garden. Unless the path of the wire is clearly marked, you run the risk of accidentally cutting it or digging it up. With solar lights, your only maintenance chore, besides making sure they get enough sun every day, is to keep the solar power pack clean. This is easily accomplished by wiping it with a soft cloth a couple of times a year.
This one is pretty self-explanatory. As long as sunshine is free, so are the operating costs for powering your solar garden lights. With just a few hours of sun each day, they will generate enough power to stay lit all night long.
Solar lighting doesn’t consume any of our precious natural resources to operate. It gets its energy from a 100% renewable source: the sun. Solar energy is considered “clean” because it doesn’t contribute to global warming and it doesn’t produce any pollution.
So there you have it: the four main reasons why people switch from low voltage to solar garden lights. The initial purchase price is typically lower, maintenance is virtually nonexistent, operating costs are zero, and there are no environmental costs. If you are considering making the switch, go ahead. You’ll be joining thousands of people who are already enjoying the benefits of solar lighting.
This page is just in case you have a great solar powered spotlight, but don’t have anything in your garden that you particularly want to highlight at night. All of these fountains and birdbaths are solar powered so you can put them just about anywhere, provided that spot gets enough sun to charge the batteries. Point a [amazon_link id="B002RNF7HO" target="_blank" ]solar powered spotlight[/amazon_link] at it, and it becomes a dramatic centerpiece.
This means that you can have a birdbath in the middle of your garden without having to run the wiring from the electrical outlet to your chosen spot. No more digging trenches across the lawn and driveway. Got a flower bed in a remote corner of your yard? Add one of these solar fountains and the birds will love you for it.