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These days, it seems like everyone is going green. From hybrid cars to organic gardens, the green movement seems to be spreading everywhere you turn. Landscaping is no different, and scores of inventive “green” ways to improve your landscaping are popping up all over the country. Chemical-free pesticides, organic mulch, and natural lighting sources are all par for the course when you choose to be “good” to the earth.
The benefit of solar landscape fixtures is that they provide long lasting lighting for your outdoor space with minimal upkeep. Plus, the money you’ll save on your electric bill will be significant if you keep your outdoor space lit all night. There are a few fundamentals you will need to learn if you want to switch your existing landscape lighting to solar; it’s nothing too difficult to master, and you can have your new fixtures up and running in less than an hour.
Understanding Solar Landscape Lighting
When your yard is sparse and winding, solar lighting is a fantastic option. You don’t have to fuss with wiring, plugs or outlets. You can situate fixtures anywhere along your landscape – down paths, along fence lines, or lining sidewalks, for example. There’s not a more versatile accent lighting than solar, and you’ll enjoy the design freedom that plug-free fixtures allows.
Solar landscape lighting works by storing and generating its own power reserves during daylight hours. At nightfall, the solar cells activate by converting the stored sunlight into natural electricity necessary to shine. A light-emitting diode (LED) bulb is powered by the electricity produced by the solar cells thanks to a small battery located inside the fixture.
Small lantern-style solar fixtures you stake into the ground are not the only models on the market today. Solar technology has become increasingly less expensive, longer lasting, and more efficient. This means many different versions are on the market, large and small, and they’re for sale and widely available at affordable prices. You can find models designed for use atop fence posts, beneath covered walkways, and more traditional versions you stake into the ground.
Power & Lighting
LED bulbs last for quite a bit of time, and their low-power glow makes them prime candidates for solar technology. That’s why you’ll find solar-powered LED lights stocked most frequently in home good stores. Halogen and fluorescent bulbs are also options, but their harsh, high-powered output drains solar energy faster than LED lights. It’s possible to use fluorescent bulbs for your solar landscape lighting, but it’s a better choice to stick with LED unless you have a real need for high-powered lighting.
The great thing about the new rechargeable battery technology is that the models hold a charge more readily and provide light much longer into the wee hours of the night. You’ll only need to change the battery once every couple of years or so, and you’ll have minimal upkeep other than that. Cleaning the solar panels is the only other real chore (if you can even call it that), and you must only do this once every few months.
Solar lighting is easy to install, a breeze to maintain, and looks great in any landscaping motif. It’s green and energy efficient, and new technology has increased output and lowered the price. Why would you use anything else to light your outdoor areas?
