Features Of Solar Garden Lights

Features of solar garden lights

Essentially, an outdoor solar light has several core components and multiple display modes.

How do solar lights work? So, solar lights need:

a photovoltaic cell

battery (usually)

Projector (most common LED)

Mounting (a way of holding a device in place)

You might know photovoltaic cells by their typical name "solar panels," but there's more. Solar panels combine the light-concentrating mechanism of photovoltaics with a protective screen. It also covers circuits that convert thermal energy into electricity.

The battery stores this energy for use when the light is activated. Most lights use automatically on/off, which activates based on external lighting conditions. This allows the lights to be turned on when needed and turned off when not.

Typically, the battery lasts 4-6 hours at full intensity and 6-10 hours at low intensity. For optimal performance, the solar collector requires 8 hours of peak sunlight to fully charge the battery. Batteries also work best when regularly discharged and charged.

In order to take full advantage of the solar cells, the lamp needs to have no shadows and be able to get direct light. Therefore, lights close to the ground may experience shadowing problems from trees, houses, or even garden leaves. Connecting higher-positioned solar cells to lower cells distributes power while still minimizing wiring.

Projectors usually use one or more LEDs, but sometimes you can find solar sodium or halogen bulbs. LEDs have an excellent light-to-power ratio and can also be easily configured in a variety of colors.

Regarding color, while LEDs can come in many colors and can create stunning lighting effects for signage or computer equipment, for outdoor lights it is easier to create color with bright white LEDs and filters. This provides a combination of colored lighting and fixtures that also have a pleasing appearance in sunlight.

Another reason to use the same white color for bulbs has to do with temperature. Different LED colors require different power and generate different heat. Keeping all bulbs the same also ensures the instant lifespan of a unit.

Finally, the installation of the unit comes into play. For garden use, people often rely on wooden stakes that can be pushed into the ground in any way. For a more permanent finish, remove the stake and attach the unit to the stem.

For walls or fences, some lights have flat backs that can be bracket mounted or slotted to a more transparent surface. Other lights are connected by hooks or similar anchors to ropes placed in the area.

For some products, there is an option to connect directly to a larger area. For others, you will need the help of a skilled installer or electrician. Most solar garden light installations can be done on your own.