Solar landscape lights are becoming a popular choice for discerning homeowners because they offer ease of installation, energy savings, and best of all, bright, glare-free lighting thanks to the latest in LED technology.
Why purchase solar landscape lights?
Solar landscape lights use LED instead of incandescent or fluorescent bulbs. While the LEDs are not replaceable, they will typically last 50,000 hours or 11.4 years at 12 hours a night to 17.1 years at 8 hours a night.
Rechargeable batteries will typically last for over 3 years before needing to be replaced. A fully charged battery will keep the lights on all night, with 10-12 hours of lighting normally reported. No wiring is required so they are very easy to install and maintain. A huge variety of solar lights styles and fixtures await those ready to purchase. Solar outdoor lights are eco friendly.
Important Technical Considerations for Dark Sky Lighting Compliance
Solar Landscape lights
Typically, solar outdoor LEDs are 2 watts and produce about 80 lumens of light. This is about 1/10th as bright as a typical incandescent bulb. But, because LEDs have a lower beam angle, they have a higher light intensity which is just the opposite to any incandescent bulb which sprays light out in every direction.
LEDs produce lower lumens than incandescent or fluorescent lights. This makes them perfect for most outdoor lighting needs, even security lights, in just about all locales. This means virtually no glare or light trespass contributing to light pollution.
So the good news is, solar lights comply with dark sky lighting laws. Even if you do not live somewhere with dark sky laws, it is in the best interests of your neighbors and your community to play an active role in reducing nighttime glare and light pollution.
Solar Landscape Lights - Wattage vs. Lumens?
Wattage measures power consumption, not brightness. In fact, the higher the wattage, the more heat the light produces. Because LEDs have low wattage, they produce almost no heat, as compared with an incandescent bulb which produces more heat than light.
Lumens per watt is a standard lighting industry measure of the conversion of electrical energy to light measuring energy efficiency in lighting. So, the higher the lumens per watt, the more efficient the light source. LEDs now produce 25-60 lumens per watt compared with incandescent lights generating about 15 lumens per watt, while compact fluorescents (CFLs) produce about 50 lumens per watt.
LED technology is going forward at a rapid pace. The lumen output of LED lights has practically doubled in the past 2 years alone.
Solar Landscape Lights - Low Voltage vs. High Voltage
Some people are still asking the question about whether to go with low voltage or high voltage outdoor lighting. When you choose solar powered light fixtures, you are choosing low voltage lighting. The reasons for going with low voltage are compelling indeed. They are: (a) Less costly to install and maintain, (b) Easier to install (c) Safer than high voltage, you are not in danger of being electrocuted by 12 volt lighting, especially in wet outdoor conditions. (d) Usually dark sky compliant due to lower wattage/lumens.
Additionally, high voltage lighting offers no variation in beam spread. A 120 volt high wattage light creates high amounts of light trespass and glare. On the other hand, a 12 volt light offers a wide spectrum of beam spread, creating a precise lighting solution to meet your needs, from a very narrow spot beam (less than 8 degrees) to a very wide flood (60 degrees or more).
Solar Landscape Lights - Uses
Today there are low cost, eco-friendly solar lights for every outdoor lighting need, including path lighting, security spotlights, garden accent lighting, post lighting and mood lighting. In fact, you can probably find a solar outdoor light fixture for just about any outdoor lighting application, even streetlights. If you're in the market for outdoor lighting fixtures, consider solar first.
Solar Landscape lights are rapidly becoming increasingly more popular in the 21st century throughout the western world, and the current trend isn't likely to slow down in the forseeable future.