Sustainable Design's Outdoor Solar Lighting
It used to be that when you wanted to install outdoor path or accent lighting, you had a substantial job on your hands. First you’d have to dig a trench to run electrical wire from the house to the light fixtures. You’d then have to lay wire and connect the lights. When that was done, you’d have to drill a hole in the wall and run the electrical wire to the main service panel (breaker box) or connect to a nearby circuit.
In addition to the cost of the added circuit, you’d need to install a step-down transformer to convert the 120-volt household current to 12-volt current to power the lights. These transformers run day and night, even when lights are off. Conventional path lights also typically require a timer, which uses full power day and night. Together, they add to your electric bill.
Fortunately, there’s a cheaper and more environmentally friendly option: solar path lighting. Each light contains a small solar cell that converts sunlight into electricity. This is stored in a small battery that powers the lights at night.
What Are Your Options?
Solar Path Lights
Solar path lights are used to light walkways, steps, driveway perimeters, patios, and landscape features you’d like to highlight, such as boulders, ponds, trees, and shrubs. For accenting lighting, there are typically six or more fixtures placed in one area. (They’re sold in multiples, too.) Solar path lights usually focus their light downward. Some path lights have on-off switches, which enable you to store up electricity for long run times required for special events.
There are now products available that can be used for pools, parking areas, and walkways. Some path lights contains two to eight LEDs (light-emitting diodes) encased in polycarbonate resin and a small photovoltaic cell to produce electricity. The PV cell powers the lights for up to about 15 hours after an 8-hour charge in sunlight. Electricity is stored not in a battery, but rather a capacitor.
Accent Lights
Solar accent lights are typically installed for aesthetic purposes, as they produce a subtle glow designed to highlight features, but not to fully illuminate objects or light pathways. Even though accent lights are not as bright as path lights, they can promote safety, for example, by revealing tripping hazards in your yard should you diverge from a pathway at night to gaze at the stars.
Other Outdoor Solar Lighting
Solar floodlights are the brightest of all outdoor solar lights, casting a bright beam of LED light on driveways, steps, walkways, patios, pools, hot tubs, decks—wherever you need them. They’re powered by solar cells and electricity is stored in an internal battery. Some LED lights are equipped with motion sensors that turn them on when they detect movement. These are ideal for security lights.
What to Watch Out For
If you can, buy units that allow you to replace the batteries when they wear out, so you don’t have to toss the entire light fixture when the battery fails.
Before purchasing lights, be sure you have decent solar exposure. If your driveway is on the north side of your two-story home and is shaded most of the time, forget it. This is not the place for solar lighting. Solar lights needs sunlight to work.
What Will It Cost?
Solar path lights start at about $10 and go up from there, based on design and materials. You can find pole lamps for about $70 and up, staked spotlights starting at about $25, and motion-sensor floodlights for about $100. Because solar path and landscape accent light fixtures are simply staked into the ground, there is no need for a professional for this part of the job.
What Will You Save?
Solar lights offer big savings in many ways. They will save electricity over years and years of service. They are also much less expensive to install than conventionally wired electric lighting because you can easily do it yourself versus hiring an electrician. (Plus, you can reconfigure your lighting any time by easily moving the fixtures.) If that’s not enough, the LED bulbs will save you money by lasting much longer.
For realistic design decisions, contact Sustainable Design for an associate or product near you.