Solar energy is the most abundant resource you can find on Earth, solar energy is the sun’s radiation. Solar energy not only helps reduce electricity bills but also protects the planet. For every appliance you have in your home, for every gallon of gas you use in your car, for every phone call you make or receive, you consume electricity. That electricity is provided by the planet we live on, and as you know, our numbers are growing as we speak.
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What are solar lights?
Also known as solar lights or lanterns, solar lights do what normal light does, only it takes energy from the sun to function, whereas conventional lights need electricity. Solar lights can have different components, but they draw energy from batteries charged by the sun’s energy and are trapped inside.
These lights use the photoelectric effect to operate. The core of this type of light is the solar panel, which converts sunlight into electricity. Solar panels are dark-colored panels that you can spot on top of solar lights.
How do solar lights work?
Solar panels are made from different layers of crystalline silicon and the chemistry that creates the layers contains positively charged spaces and negatively charged electrons. When sunlight enters the solar cell, it energizes the electrons and propels them to the positively charged voids.
Then, transfer electricity to the batteries and transfer them as current using conductors that are part of the solar panel. When it’s dark outside and there’s no more sunlight to absorb, the solar cells pause this transition. If your solar light comes with an optical sensor, it should detect darkness and turn on the light automatically.
There are two essential things to be mentioned here:
- Solar lights must take advantage of a lot of daylight to fully charge the battery. This means that you must place the lights in a well-lit place to ensure there aren’t any objects that could obscure the solar panels during the day (like trees, bushes, walls, etc.)
- You cannot expect solar lights to have the same battery power in all seasons. For example, days are shorter in winter, meaning your solar panels won’t benefit from the same amount of sun exposure as in summer. Also, remember that snowfall can affect solar panels as snow will block sunlight from reaching them.
Benefits of solar lights
Naturally, many of the benefits of solar panels that we mentioned at the beginning of this article are also transferred to the use of solar lights:
- Using these lights means you can reduce the total cost of your electricity bill. At first, you may think that it is not worth investing in solar lights, but you will have a great return on investment when calculating the final costs.
- These lights do not use any wires, and they are usually made from a luminaire that is directly connected to a small solar panel. Everything is staked that you can plug into the ground, but most of them come with the necessary accessories for wall mounting.
- Solar lights can be used in many different settings and scenarios. You can use lights to create scenes in your yard. Turn on at night to light up your garden/yard, driveway, front or back porch, garage entrance, or just outside the tool shed. They can also be used for street lighting, in which case a solar panel is attached directly to the pole and stores energy for the day. This helps the locals have more money and the ability to light the street at night.
- Another significant advantage of using solar lights is that they are deficient in maintenance. You will have to clean them a few times a year, especially in the fall and winter, when leaves and snowfall can block solar panels. When there is debris lying on top of the solar cell, the sun’s rays will no longer reach it, which means the lights will not be able to harness the sun’s energy.
- They can bring your dream landscape to life. If you are proud of the look of your front yard, solar lights will showcase your plants/bushes/flowers/trees even at night.
- They are environmentally friendly. And this is often an underrated benefit. As we’ve mentioned time and time again, switching to solar energy is one of the best ways to reduce our carbon footprint and ensure we use natural resources to their benefit. Us and the good of the planet we live on. You will use an infinite resource, which means that as long as the sun is shining, you can generate energy from it. They use the light of broad wavelength and spectrum, directly from a naturally renewable source.
- In terms of maintenance, they are pretty easy to maintain and repair. But if you want to know more about improving solar lights, we have the perfect information for you! Learn how to install solar lights.
Different types of solar lights
As you can imagine, there is more than one type of sunlight out there. They are classified according to their luminosity, design or purpose of service:
- Solar string lights are great for decorative purposes, and they are lights hanging on a string and can be used both outdoors and indoors. They can be hung from trees or bushes but can also decorate gazebos, porches or entrances.
- Solar lights are LED lights that are available in many shapes and sizes. They are mainly used on walls, floors, stairs or patios and provide a very intimate type of lighting without wiring.
- Solar lights are not only helpful but also very beautiful. These light poles can now harvest and absorb solar energy and give you more light so you can cover more space with just a single light source.
- Solar lanterns are trendy, but they also come in a wide variety of subtypes. They can be used for camping, outdoor activities, or just installed in the yard.
- The solar wall light can be mounted directly on the wall and is excellent for lighting the entrance to your home, the side of your house, or even the door to a garage or shed.
- The solar step lights are stylish and can be placed directly at the top of each stairs step. They have a very modern vibe to them and can be used both outdoors and indoors.
- Solar lawn lights are the perfect choice for displaying your beautiful flowers, as the atmosphere created by the light combined with the flowers of different colors is breathtaking.
- Solar emergency lights are great for use during power outages. They usually have a built-in power reserve and plenty of lumens so you don’t have to be in the dark.
Conclude
Solar lights use solar panels’ energy to convert solar radiation energy into electricity that can run lights. Basically, the concept behind solar lights is to capture the sun’s energy using solar cells, store the electricity inside the battery and use it at night to light up the garden, driveway, front porch or anywhere you want. You can leave them outside to charge during the day and then move them indoors to light up the room if you have high-quality lights.
View more:
- How far apart should solar lights be placed
- How to clean solar panels on garden lights
- How to fix solar lights and why lights don’t work
- How to charge solar lights without sun
- How long do solar lights last
- How do solar lights work
- What is photovoltaic technology
- Does solar lights need direct sunlight?
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