Outdoor Lighting Lamps » Solar Lighting

Solar Powered Security Light

Rachel — Mon, 15 Nov 2010 12:08:28 +0000

A solar powered security light offers significant advantages over a traditional mains operated security light. These days, in the doom and gloom of economic recession, many home and business owners are choosing solar powered lighting over wired in lighting. In some cases, people assume solar powered security lamps are dim and ineffective, but in fact that is not the case. Most solar powered lamps use LED light bulbs, which are extremely bright and give off a strong light at night. This means they are more than suitable for security lighting purposes.

The initial outlay of the equipment can sometimes be more than you would normally pay for a wired in security unit, but over time, your new solar powered security lamps will more than pay for themselves. Unlike a wired unit where you would have to pay a qualified electrician to fit it, a solar powered unit is easy to fit for anyone with a modicum of DIY knowledge and all fixings will be included.

Solar lighting costs absolutely nothing to run, whereas a wired in unit will add extra usage on to your utility bill, especially if you have several powerful spot lights around the perimeter of your home or business. Solar units normally use LED bulbs will last on average for 100,000 hours, whereas you can expect to pay a lot more for bulbs required by traditional wired security units. Replacing bulbs can be a real issue for many businesses, as not only do they cost money, they might also be located in inaccessible light units positioned high up on buildings.

Solar powered security lighting comes in a variety of different designs, depending on where you wish to locate your lights. You can choose from a functional unit with a high beam floodlight and a movement sensor, or you might prefer a more decorative style that resembles a traditional outdoor light.

For use around outbuildings and garages, many people choose a floodlight with a movement sensor. A sensor is useful because it prevents the light from staying on all night, which can cause problems if bedrooms are situated nearby, as most people cannot sleep in a room with a high beam floodlight shining straight through the bedroom window. With a movement sensor as an integral part of the security light design, the light will only be activated if you approach, and it will then turn off after no more movement is detected. Most sensors are designed to ignore small animals, so if your cats have nocturnal hunting and procreating habits, you can rest assured that they won’t be doing any of it beneath the glow of your floodlights.

A decorative solar power security light is usually the light of choice around patio areas, or outside porches. They are just as effective as powerful floodlights at providing security lighting, but they are more stylish and tend to fit in better with the existing external decorative scheme. Solar powered security lights in the style of a coach lantern are often a popular choice for an entrance porch or gateway.

Solar String Lights for Ambient lighting

Rachel — Sun, 29 Aug 2010 13:23:19 +0000

Solar string lights are a fabulous way to provide some attractive ambient lighting for your garden or outdoors area. Solar powered string lights require no electricity and charge up during the day. The lights work best when placed in a sunny location, but they do not necessarily require full sunlight to work. Solar lights usually come on at dusk, although some have a manual over-ride switch.

Solar string lighting is a pretty way to mark pathways and garden features. If there is something you wish to draw attention to in your garden, try draping some solar string lights around it and you will be able to create a lovely focal point. String lighting can work particularly well when used amongst foliage and vegetation and trees look beautiful with string lights strung through the branches.

Architectural garden features also benefit from string lights. This versatile lighting can be used very effectively to define the elements of your garden statues or ornaments. Water features such as fountains look spectacular when combined with light and solar lighting is ideal if you do not want to worry about the safety aspects of mixing water and electricity. String lights can easily be draped around a fountain and at night, the light effects combined with water will turn your garden into the Palace of Versailles…hopefully!

For parties and outdoor entertainment, solar LED string lights offer a wonderful way to create a festive atmosphere around your patio or terrace. In order to successfully entertain once the sun has disappeared, you need adequate lighting, or your guests will have a problem seeing each other as well as your lovely garden. String lighting is a versatile way of proving ambient lighting around the patio and when combined with other forms of lighting, for example tea lights, your garden will provide the perfect spot for a successful party.

However, you do not always need the excuse of a party to use string lighting. A solar string light kit can be used at any time to add some bling to your garden. For the ultimate in lighting, you can connect multiple solar string lighting kits together and turn your garden into a fairy grotto full of twinkling lights at night.

String lights powered by solar energy are ideal for a multitude of tasks. In the summer they add a whole new dimension to any garden by illuminating features at night. Instead of your garden being plunged into darkness once the sun sets, you can continue enjoying it after sundown with the aid of some pretty string lights.

At Christmas time, string lights are a great way to add extra decoration to your home. You can use string lights to decorate your trees with pretty colored lights, or if you prefer a slightly more classic look, use white lights for the ultimate in style.

String lights are the ultimate in versatile lighting and because they are available in solar powered versions, not only can you enjoy some beautiful garden lighting, but you can also enjoy knowing they do not cost anything to run!

Solar Shed Lights

Rachel — Sat, 28 Aug 2010 13:20:41 +0000

Solar shed lights are ideal for sheds and garages situated a long way from an electricity supply. In such cases, your shed or garage will be pretty useless at night unless you have some kind of lighting source. Solar lights for sheds are ideal in such instances and can provide an efficient and cost effective lighting source.

Because a solar shed light cannot charge up using sunlight in the same way solar garden lights do, a small solar panel must be installed on the roof to charge up the interior light. The solar panel is connected to the light and within a few hours of installation you will have your shed light up and running.

A solar powered shed light is relatively cheap to buy and very easy to install. Multi lights offer more than one light attached to a solar charging panel, which is ideal for larger sheds or outbuildings. Once the light has been fitted it has no running costs and is very environmentally friendly.

Replaceable Ni-MH batteries can power up to ten energy saving LED bulbs and provide six hours of light once fully charged. LED light bulbs normally last for a long time and are extremely energy efficient. Many shed lights come with energy saving features that automatically switch the light off after twenty minutes to save battery power. Some lights will also come supplied with remote controls so you can switch the light on from as far away as twenty meters—which can save you fumbling around in the dark trying to locate a light switch.

Cable lengths will vary, but you can expect as much as three meters of cable between the solar panel and light unit. This would normally be enough to successfully fit a shed light. Waterproof shed lights can be fitted on the exterior of the shed or outbuilding in conjunction with an internal light.

A solar power shed light with a movement sensor is a useful accessory to provide illumination at night time with the added bonus of security lighting. A 360 degree sensor will detect movement on all sides and automatically switch the light on for a specified period of time (the default is normally around thirty seconds). This type of lighting product is very useful for sheds, outbuildings, stables or garages.

Portable solar shed lights can be fitted to sheds and outbuildings for everyday use, but they can also be removed for camping, fishing, and other outdoor activities. They are a very versatile solar lighting unit suitable for a variety of applications. Smaller than a standard solar light unit, portable units still provide up to four hours of continuous light when fully charged.

Solar lights for sheds and outbuildings are very simple to fit and do not require the services of an electrician to install. Lighting units will come with all fixtures, fittings and a full set of instructions. As long as the solar panel is positioned to maximize the amount of sunlight it receives, the batteries will be sufficiently charged up to work effectively at night.

Solar Lights: An Alternative Way of Lighting

Sat, 03 Jul 2010 08:06:47 +0000

An eco-friendly way of lighting our homes is on its way to capture the hearts of everyone who wishes to contribute for the welfare of our environment through the use of solar lights. Since global warming has been an issue in debates and even in ordinary discussions all over the world, it is just noble for us to take part in some measures to ease out this problem. The rising cost of commodities and of electricity are inevitable so it sounds right to try to save on our energy consumption at home and at the same time save money without jeopardizing the safety around us.

In order for one to do so, a solar panel should be installed first where we can get the solar energy needed for our lighting fixtures. The solar panel is simple and can be made right in your homes. It needs no maintenance; however, keeping it clean at all times is a must.

The lights automatically switch on when darkness falls and can stay lighted for up to three hours or more or for as long as the battery has a residual power in it.

Solar lights are commonly used in gardens, pathways, driveways or patios leading to the house where there are no electrical connections due to the open space. Installing this kind of energy-operated light is ideally mounted on posts, walls and garden steps. Security purposes are not the only reason for lighting up these places, but also, to avoid accidents by tripping on the steps or bumping on elsewhere in the area.

Solar lighting is ideal as solar post lights placed beautifully on the front gate of the house. Lighting up your dwelling place should be a less-worry thing if you have a solar light in your homes because you know that it costs much lesser than electricity.

It can also be mounted on walls especially on halls or patios of the house. The lights at night add beauty to our homes especially if we fit them in nice lamps. A well-lighted place complements the architectural design and exudes the warm-heartedness of the dwellers.

Another way to install a solar light is have them in your garden, laid behind a plant or near the steps. This will enhance its scenic view and guests would surely admire your ingenuity. Having solar garden lights can be safe and energy-cost efficient. We do not have to sacrifice our ego to want to show off our beautiful and ideal homes, since the solar energy will help us keep up with the sky-rocketing electric bills. Moreover, we do not only save money but also we save Mother Earth from further damage.

We should keep ourselves abreast with modern times. Nevertheless, we must always be sensitive about keeping and saving our environment. The use of solar lights is highly recommended for people who would want to be heroes in the conservation of our one and only planet Earth.

Solar post lights: Illuminate your Path or Driveway

Rachel — Wed, 30 Jun 2010 18:41:03 +0000

Solar post lights are designed for illuminating paths or driveways. The main advantage of this type of lighting is that it requires absolutely no wiring or electrical installation. This not only saves you money because you don’t need the services of an expensive electrician, it also saves you money on your energy bills—which is always a good idea!

Solar powered lighting works by using daylight to charge up an internal battery inside the light. A small solar panel on the light fitting absorbs energy throughout the day, even when the weather is overcast, and this provides around 8 hours or more of charge at night. The lighting unit switches on automatically once darkness falls and the light will operate for as long as there is residual battery power. The solar panel does need to be kept fairly clean, but other than that, there is no maintenance required.

Solar post lights are ideal for lighting areas where there is no electricity supply. This could either apply to pathways in your garden, or driveways leading up to your house. Lighting at night is important for a variety of reasons. Not only do you need ample lighting for security purposes, you also need light for safety reasons.

If you have something that could potentially be dangerous in your garden at night, for example a pond or steps down to a lower level, then providing adequate lighting is something to consider. Guests wandering around your garden at night, admiring the attractively lit flower beds, do not want to trip on a dark step and fall head first into your Koi Carp pond.

Effective lighting is also required in areas where the general public might roam at night, for example public recreational spaces. Proving enough lighting is a very important health and safety consideration. Parking areas outside public buildings need adequate lighting. A solar light post, or a solar lamp post light, is an excellent way of ensuring that the car park has adequate illumination. By placing such lights around the perimeter of the car parking area, security will be addressed and you have minimized the risks of any potential accidents.

Apart from the security and safety issues involved, there is also the aesthetic appeal of such lighting to think about. Thankfully, solar post lighting not only does the job well, it also looks attractive. Lamp post lights are great for providing some old-fashioned style lighting, whereas post lights have a far more contemporary feel. They are suitable for all kinds of garden, either a private landscaped area, or a public recreational space. At night, by placing post lights along pathways and walkways amongst shrubs and trees, the garden will look beautifully illuminated.

Of course, it is possible to overdo the effect, so be careful that you do not place too many post lights around your garden. The last thing you want is for your garden to be mistaken for a runway—having a 747 attempt a landing in your shrubberies is not conducive to a relaxing summer evening barbeque in the garden…

Solar wall lights: Environmental Awareness

Rachel — Sun, 27 Jun 2010 18:21:39 +0000

Solar wall lights are ideal for those people who want to do their bit for the environment. Nobody these days can escape the fact that global warming is a huge issue. With energy usage rising and the cost of energy rising too, it makes sense to try and reduce your household energy bills by every means possible. However, this does not mean you have to cut too many corners. There are lots of simple steps you can take which will make a huge difference to your monthly energy bills.

Installing solar lighting is one easy way to make sure your electricity bill does not shoot through the roof during the summer months where you want to entertain guests and light up your garden. But solar lighting is not only for decorative purposes: it can have a multitude of other important uses around the home and garden.

Wall mounted solar lights can be installed anywhere that electricity supply is a problem. This includes outside buildings away from the main home, or gateposts on the boundaries of your property. Solar wall lights are ideal for fixing to the gates at the end of your driveway. They charge up throughout the day, and at night when darkness falls, you have security lighting at the entrance to your driveway. This not only discourages intruders, it also provides a helpful guiding light for you and your guests—which is ideal if you live in a secluded and unlit area. Wall mount solar lights are also useful for porches and garages. They can provide discreet lighting for zero cost and can be found in attractive units that match the existing decorative scheme.

Wall solar lights can also be fitted at various locations around the garden. If you have some outside gazebos or pool buildings, you might not wish to go to the expense and hassle of having some mains operated exterior lighting fitted, especially when it requires an electrician to do the job. Wall mounted solar slights are ideal for the purpose, as not only do they cost nothing to operate, but they are also extremely easy to install. You only need to fix the light to a wall or post using the bracket, and once the light is charged up during the day, it will give off light for around 8 hours, or more.

Solar wall lighting is available in a variety of styles and designs. Coach style lantern lights are a very popular choice for many people. They are a decorative light that comprises of a lampshade with an attractive wall mount. It is a style that is perfect for many areas around the home, but is especially suitable for entrances as they look very stylish attached to pillars and posts.

Solar wall lights are also useful for replacing a broken electric light fitting. If you are faced with a broken light on the outside of your house, rather than mess about calling an electrician, why not simply replace the light with a solar lamp. Installation is fast, easy, and economical.

Rock solar lights: Providing Discrete Lighting

Rachel — Thu, 17 Jun 2010 20:47:08 +0000

Rock solar lights are ideal for providing discrete lighting in key areas of your garden where you do not need any strong lighting. They are designed to be small lights camouflaged as rocks or stones. This means they look great in rockeries, or placed amongst shrubs and flowerbeds, as they are not immediately obvious as lights until darkness falls and the light comes on.

The beauty of this type of light is that they are incredibly easy to install. There is no wiring involved and the light casing is water resistant to protect the light from the elements. A solar panel on the light converts solar power during the day into the rechargeable battery power. Once daylight disappears, the solar rock light comes on automatically to illuminate the garden. The use of LED energy saving bulbs means the lights will burn brighter, for longer.

The length of time the light lasts is dependent on several factors. Ideally, solar rock lights require at least 6 hours of sunlight to charge the battery sufficiently. It is best to choose a location in your garden where the light is positioned to receive maximum sunshine during the day. For example, a position beneath heavy tree cover will adversely affect the power of the rock light. However, even in gloomy wintry conditions, you should still be able to achieve a few hours of light at night.

There are several different designs of rock lights to choose from. Many rock lights are constructed from a resin material and strongly resemble a rock at first glance, but there are also rock lights available that are designed to look like lumps of glass. These can make an attractive addition to your garden, whether you place them in pots, or in the flowerbeds.

Rock solar lights are also great for providing concealed lighting in ponds and water features. At night, these clever little lights can cast an ethereal glow from the depths of your pond or fountain. They are a great way of accenting attractive water features and if you have spent lots of money installing one, you will want to make sure all your friends and family notice it when they come round for a visit!

They are also very useful for providing subtle lighting along paths and walkways around your landscaped garden. Not only is this crucial for safety, it adds a certain aesthetic appeal to your landscaping design. It can also be useful from a security perspective. If your garden is well lit up at night, you are less likely to attract intruders and vandals. If you happen to have security cameras installed on your property, the more outside lighting you have, the better. If you are unfortunate enough to have intruders on your property, they will be much easier to identify with adequate lighting.

Rock solar lights are the ultimate outdoor lighting solution. Because they use solar energy instead of electricity, there is no impact on the environment, plus there are no extra energy bills to consider.

Indoor Solar Lights: Is There Such a Thing?

Tue, 15 Jun 2010 13:06:38 +0000

We all know that many outdoor lighting lamps are charged by sunlight but do you also know there is such a thing as indoor solar lighting? Indoor solar lights actually work the same as any other type of solar powered light, the only difference is that you have to place the light fixture where there is enough sun to charge the batteries. Most often this means that you have to install the solar collector next to a window that catches a lot of sun or mount it on the exterior of your house. They are the next step to a environmental friendly home and they will save on your electricity bill too.

If you put some thought to it than all solar lights are also fit for indoor usage as long as they get charged by the sun. The problem is that this is much more difficult to achieve because there is only limited sunlight that will reach your house. The lights that are nowadays available still have to be charged by the sun and the best way to do it is by placing the solar collector in a window opening. Off course this will only work if your window catches enough sunlight because otherwise you can try it in vain. Another possibility is to mount the solar collector on the outside of your home where it will catch more sunlight.

Disadvantages

Although a thing as indoor solar lights sounds good, I don't believe it can match our conventional voltage lighting for several reasons. For one, the main reason why we are using solar lighting is because it is so easy to install with the lack of wires and electricity and all. If you decide to install these lights inside your home than you have to connect them to a solar collector which will diminish this advantage. Another disadvantage is that you are limited to where you can place them. Because the lights are "wired" you can only place them in certain areas around your house and you have to deal with the wires to. Yet another disadvantage is that until now there is no solar indoor light that can match the reliability and brightness of conventional electricity lighting. The lights are not as bright and will not work as long as voltage lighting too. Because the solar collector is placed behind a window the collector has to catch even more sun to make them work.

Alternatives

If you are looking for a good alternative because you want to do something good for the environment than there are 2 things you can do. The first and most easiest thing to do is choosing an energy provides that generates it electricity using environmental friendly ends. Sometimes this means you have to pay a little more but you will know you are supporting the environment.

Another alternative is to use solar panels. Solar panels can be installed on the roof of your house and they will pass the energy they collect from the sun through to your electricity network. In this way you can lit your house completely on solar energy. It is an expensive way to show gratitude to the environment and that is why not many people are doing it. Once it get's cheaper and more efficient it will probably become a very good alternative to electricity.

Solar Hanging Lanterns

Sun, 13 Jun 2010 08:29:40 +0000

Outdoor Lanterns provide us with a unique way of lighting and the usage of lanterns goes back hundred of years. We used lanterns to guide our way on dark roads and later on we mounted them on nautical vehicles, coaches and eventually all other vehicles. Nowadays lanterns don't have the same function anymore as back than because we mainly use them for aesthetic purposes. Illumination alone is not enough anymore, beautification has become at least as important. New technologies and mixed cultures have caused new designed lanterns to become very popular to use on patio's walkways, decks, gardens and driveways. One of those new technologies is solar power and solar hanging lanterns are a result of that new technology.

I don't to call most people lazy but the main reason why solar powered hanging lanterns (and all other types of outdoor lighting) have become so popular is because they are so easy to install. When you are considering to install and mount an outdoor lighting lamp you always have to work with wires and connect them to your power network. This is not only difficult but it also results in ugly wires that run through your garden back to your home and people don't like to see wires within their visionary. Because most lighting is aesthetic, solar powered lamps are much more convenient because there are no wires or power supplies you need to connect them to. All you need is the lighting fixture itself and an integrated or separate solar collector.

Solar hanging lanterns are always for outdoor usage, you can not make them work when you install them inside. This sounds logical, but many people ask this question because they like the lanterns so much and solar powered lamps for inside usage would be very convenient. You have to install them outdoors on your patio, garden, deck or any other area within your home exterior. Hanging solar lanterns are not hanging on your ceiling, they are mounted on a pole or stick and you mount them with a hook. You are not limited to the pole/stick, you can also decide to hang your lantern on a tree, as long as it is faced to the sun.

Soji Lanterns

These Japanese lanterns were used for celebrations like weddings, birthdays, but also for religious celebrations. They are still a part withing Japanese culture and people who have an oriental themed garden will really like them. Authentic Soji lanterns were accommodated with candles but nowadays other lighting fixtures are used. The lamp itself is made out of see through nylon and when a light is placed within the lamp it really looks amazing. The nylon is available in all different colors and it will really look nice when you use different colors on your patio or in your garden.

Copper Hanging Lanterns

Other solar hanging lanterns are often made out of durable materials like copper. Copper is strong and can withstand almost all weather conditions and that is why it is used a lot to create outdoor lighting fixtures. Solid copper lanterns are often quite expensive and that is why most are only copper plated. They still look the same, only the price will be a bit lower. Copper lights always are a proper fit to almost any patio or garden because copper is a natural color. If you have a lot of wooden furniture, plants and bushes than a copper hanging lantern will be a good fit.

Where to use your Hanging Lanterns for?

Actually, lanterns are used for many situations because their design allows it to install them singular or in a group. If you only want 1 or 2 lanterns than you can use them on either side of your patio or near the entrance of your home. But if you buy them as a set than you might also use them as a way to illuminate your driveway or walkway. Because they are hanging on a hook the fixtures are almost near the ground and this makes them suitable as a guidance light and an aesthetic light as well. A hanging solar lantern holds the middle between post lights and accent lights and that is what makes them so unique and beautiful.

Solar Step Lights

Mon, 31 May 2010 20:11:16 +0000

It is nice to have a big garden decorated with fountains, statues, all kinds of flowers and plants maybe even decorated with some steps. Especially when you have a big garden outdoor lighting fixtures are very important because you want to keep all potential dangerous spots properly illuminated. Lighting up the dangerous spots in your garden is important because you want to prevent accidents from happening. Besides placing spotlights, driveway and walkway lights you also want to place some outdoor step lights on steps. You might have steps on your walkway, in your garden or at your deck and you should really consider placing lights on or near these steps.

There are different options available to use on your steps, you can go for led voltage lights, battery rechargeable led lights or solar step lights. All options are suitable and will increase visionary and safety at your garden but what are exactly the differences and what would be your best option?

Solar step lighting has many advantages when you compare them to the other two alternatives for several reasons. The easy installment has made solar lights a very popular pick to use in your garden as a lighting fixture. You don't have to connect them to the electricity network and you don't have to do any wiring. All you have to take care for is placing them in the right spot and face them to the sun. If your steps are not faced to the sun but in to the shades than you want to buy LED lights with a separate solar collector. The LED lights will be connected to a 20 feet wire which allows you to place the solar collector in the sun while the LED lights are in to the shade.

Although easy installment is the main advantage of using a solar step light above it's alternatives, there are more reasons why you want to use them. They are also a very economy friendly way of lighting to use because they will not use any electricity and this saves money on your electricity bill. Because they are not using electricity they are also considered environmental friendly.

Besides increasing safety around your house you will also increase it's appearance. Outdoor lighting is not only a mean to illuminate certain areas, because of the soft glowing light fixtures you are also able to create dramatic effects on your landscaping.

Choosing for solar powered step lights basically gives you 2 options to choose from. Either you want to use in ground lights which are leveled with the steps, or you want to use surface lights which are placed on the surface of the steps. In ground lights are more difficult to install because you have to cut or saw holes in the steps in order to level them. Surface lights are much easier to install because all you have to do is stick them at the side of your steps.

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