Solar Powered Lights

by Hugh A McGaughy

If you have ever thought about lighting in your yard, you have probably thought about solar lights. Landscape lighting is probably the most popular outdoor home improvement project around.. Most home builders do not provide landscape lighting and most home owners do not want to deal with a contractor to install low voltage systems, all of which can be quite costly. Not only are they costly to have installed, it cost to operate them. Most low voltage systems use a 12 watt light bulb, if you are running 10 lights that is equivalent to 120 watts being used about 8 hours a night, every night. Solar lights cost nothing to operate.

Solar lights are an excellent solution for your home and garden and good for the environment. Solar lights are simple to install, just take them out of the box and place them anywhere you want, there's no digging ditches, no wires to run, and they're even simpler to use. Solar lights will come on automatically when it gets dark and they will turn off when the daylight returns.

During the daylight hours the solar cells collect energy from the sun to charge the internal batteries; the sun is an endless power supply, at night that energy is made available to the LED's (light emitting diodes) that provides the light source. LED's require very little power and they will last approximately 100,000 hours, no light bulbs to change as in the low voltage systems that use incandescent light bulbs. LED's do not attract flying insects, which is especially nice when you are using a solar wall light outside of an entry door or garage door entrance.

Hugh McGaughy is the owner of Solar Lights Now. We are the one stop shop for all your solar powered light needs. Please visit us at http://www.solarlightsnow.com

Article Source: Solar Powered Lights

4 Advantages Of Getting LED Solar Power Lights

by DIY Renewable Energy

Home LED solar powered lights are the latest in solar power products to hit the market. By being free of relying on traditional electricity sources, these modern lights are a dream for designers when it comes to outdoor lighting.

How solar power LED lights came about:

Ever since solar power became portable, people have thought of as many solar power uses as possible. What made solar power so attractive for outdoor lighting was its portability - replacing the need for long, unsightly extension leads in the garden. Initially individuals tried using compact fluorescent light (CFL) bulbs, but the small solar panels could not produce enough wattage for the lights to burn bright enough.

As a result the solar light market was limited to places near the equator with large amounts of sunlight. And even then the solar panels and batteries had to be large enough to cater for the period of longest nights, shortest days and cloudiest conditions.

Then as LED lights started hitting the market, manufacturers realized they would be ideal for solar lighting since they burned brightly, but used minimal power. And thanks to technological improvements in home solar power LED lights, the solar lighting market is no longer confined to equatorial areas with the most amount of direct sunlight and highest temperatures.

So what were the technological improvements, and how did they benefit the solar market?

They were:

1. Optimized system efficiency

LED lights are now capable of optimizing current flows, where no power is wasted, so the overall system efficiency is almost 100 percent.

2. LED's can be fine tuned

Since solar LED lights can be programmed, users are now able to select not only where the light is delivered but also how brightly and when it is delivered. This has led to a reduction in solar panel and battery size by as much as 50 percent of the original outdoor lighting system.

3. Effective illumination

LED lights are able to provide directional beams of light, where about 90 percent can be used for ambient lighting and a further 70 percent for task lighting. Furthermore, a 45 lumen LED light can create the same amount of light as a 75 lumen CFL bulb, resulting in lower electricity usage and costs for running a home power solar lighting system.

4. Improved performance, efficiency and lifespan in cold temperatures

Most outdoor lamps tend to lose performance and lifetime in colder temperatures - where they seem rather dim or burn out very quickly in sub-zero climates. But LED's are different - they don't produce light from a filament, but rather a micro-chip. And since micro-chips run better at lower temperatures, solar LED lights can last 5 to 10 times longer than CFL bulbs.

With all these technological breakthroughs anyone is now able to enjoy home LED solar powered lights at home, no matter where they live. And if you know how to make your own solar panel system, all you have to do is add some inexpensive LED lights to enjoy free outdoor lighting. It couldn't be simpler!

Tim McDonald and his wife have been living off the grid since June 2008. He recommends you Try Earth4Energy For FREE before you go out and start any home solar power project.

Article Source: 4 Advantages Of Getting LED Solar Power Lights

Outdoor Solar Lights -- How To Choose The Best Ones For You

by Lisa Saffel

This article goes over some things to consider in order to choose the best outdoor solar lights for your landscaping, including taking into account what you already have, blending with your decor, and tips on choosing the styles, sizes and light colors for your outdoor solar lights.

Outdoor Solar Lights come in a much wider variety of styles, shapes and sizes than they used to. When most people think of outdoor solar lights, they probably think of small white lights that stake into the ground. However, these days, there is an amazing variety of types of outdoor solar lights. So, how do you decide what types of outdoor solar lights are the right ones for you ? There are many considerations and you should think about what your needs are and what your location is like.

Do you already have outdoor solar lights or outdoor electric lights ?
If you do, then you will want to add something new that blends and coordinates well with what you already have. If you don’t, then you would still want to choose outdoor solar lights that blend well with your existing decor. Consider the color and style of the lights and whether or not they will go well with the surroundings where you want to put them. Choose something that suits your taste and style, as well.

How many types of outdoor solar lights should you have ?
It is often best to have just one or two styles of lights that will be in the same area. Consider getting sets or multiple lights of the same type, or perhaps having all outdoor solar lights of only one or two types placed throughout your yard, then perhaps another type of outdoor solar lights attached to a fence or on the walls.

Do you have a lot of space or are you looking for just an accent or two ?
Larger spaces can have a lot of outdoor solar lights in them or use larger-sized outdoor solar lights. For smaller spaces, it may be better to have a small number of lights and to use smaller-sized outdoor solar lights. Have fun while adding outdoor solar lights to your landscaping, but don’t overdo it.

Do you prefer lights that shine in white or in other colors ?
Outdoor Solar Lights that shine white or amber are the most popular colors, but outdoor solar lights also come in other colors of light, such as green, blue and red. Most people probably prefer a uniform look and stick to one light color in a particular area, but it is also possible to have a display with more than one light color. If you think about other peoples’ Christmas light displays, some combinations and arrangements of colors look better than others, but it is also a matter of personal taste. Outdoor solar light displays are subject to the same considerations. You probably don’t want to have so many random colors that your landscaping becomes gaudy. It may be best to stick with lights of the same color in a particular area or perhaps even stick to one or two light colors for your whole yard.

Choosing styles and types of outdoor solar lights can be a lot of fun, but if you have difficulty in deciding what styles and sizes of outdoor solar lights will go best for your particular situation and where best to place them, then try asking a friend whose taste you admire. They would probably be happy to help you out with some advice, although the final decision is still yours !

Lisa Saffel is a solar lights business owner, supplying a wide variety of quality outdoor solar lights to the U.S.A. and Canada. For more tips and articles and for all of your outdoor solar lights and solar garden lights needs, please visit http://www.BrightSolarLights.com

Article Source: Outdoor Solar Lights -- How To Choose The Best Ones For You