The Future is Bright for Solar Lights
January 4, 2010 by Steve Schafer
Filed under Home Family
What do you think of when someone says \”solar lights\”? Quite a few of us will get an image in our head of the old \”first generation\” solar lights that were really plain looking; with big, bulky solar panels that just screamed \”ugly\”. It turns out that solar lighting has evolved quite a bit in its technology. Most solar lights now have rechargeable (Ni-cad) batteries built into them that store their charge. The photovoltaic cells (solar cells) are able to gather much more energy from a much smaller design, and the bulbs are usually made from LED\’s which use less energy to produce more light. This makes them much more efficient than incandescent or florescent bulbs.
With the advancement of solar technology, solar lighting manufacturers are able to design new styles of and applications for solar lights. The new compact designs of solar path lights makes them so easy to install, that you just have to take them out of the box and put them where you want them. The solar cells and batteries are built right into the light fixture. Solar accent lights come in a variety of elegant designs that will accent your home\’ landscape during the day as well as at night. There are even motion sensing solar security lights that are very easy to mount to a wall and will light up when someone enters your front porch or driveway – all without any wiring involved.
Using solar lighting for your home landscaping has many benefits. One big advantage is that they are wireless. Having no wires really makes solar lights simple to install. As long as the location you picked for them has access to adequate sunlight, you are good to go. If not, you can get solar lights that come with an external panel that can be mounted in a nearby, sunny spot. Even then, there is really no wiring – just a single wire from the light to a small panel.
Another big plus is that solar lights require absolutely no maintenance. Once you have them mounted or placed where you need them, you can forget about them and let them do their job. The batteries usually last for the life of the fixtures, as do the bulbs. The fixtures themselves are so inexpensive, that it just makes sense to replace them at the first sign of problems. Solar lights are truly trouble free technology.
To me, the greatest benefit of all is that solar lighting is \”green\”. They use renewable energy (the sun). That makes them great for the environment and for your pocketbook. The earth is running out of non-renewable resources and the cost of electricity is constantly going up. Not only does switching to solar lighting allow you to help save the planet\’s resources, but it saves you money as well. They cost nothing to run.
As you can see, there are many benefits to using solar lighting around your home and garden. As the technology continues to grow, solar lights will become more and more efficient and less and less expensive. Save money and do your part for the environment. Switch to solar lights!
Learn more about solar lights. Stop by Steve Schafer\’s site where you can find out all about Solar Technology and what it can do for you. Get a totally unique version of this article from our article submission service
