Solar Lights for Your Home
Posted on January 19, 2011
Filed Under Home Improvement | Leave a Comment
Back in the 1970s people began to develop an interest in solar energy so that they might generate electricity for solar lights or heat water in the hot water heater. We will discuss some of the state of the art applications for solar lighting in today’s home. These days’ solar powered homes no longer depend on being able to use electricity only while the sun shines.
Solar energy can be used to charge banks of batteries that can operate stoves, refrigerators, and indoor solar lights without depending on the power company. In addition there is a wide range of exterior lighting options powered by the sun.
Lets take a look at some very basic solar lights for the yard and garden. The driveway can be illuminated with solar lights to help drivers see the edges of the drive at night. The walkway leading to the front door can have lighting in the same style as the overall architecture of the house. Spotlights can highlight special plantings and the front stairway. You might also add a light by the back yard gate to discourage intruders.
One of the most important features about designing with solar illumination is that there is no wiring that has to be installed to provide the power. Solar lighting can be installed and operated for very little expense if the homeowner simply takes the time to investigate the huge variety of fixtures and accessories available today.
Your yard can be quickly and easily set up with lights that illuminate ponds, special shrubs, and even flagpoles by spending no more than just the cost of the lights. How can this be done? Because the best solar lights are stand alone devices requiring no wiring to connect them to the house power. Installation is simple and the electricity is free. That is the beauty of solar energy. It is low cost and low maintenance.
Nowadays outdoor solar lighting is supplied with LED light bulbs rather than florescent bulbs, which burn out much sooner. A person could install solar lighting throughout his yard and garden and possibly have no maintenance and no electricity cost for up to 20 years. This is made possible by the fact that LED bulbs have a life expectancy of 10-20 years and no other real maintenance is required.
Lets now look at deck lighting and see the advantages of using solar energy and why it is superior to conventional lighting. The area near the back door could be provided with a decorative fixture that could be operated by a photocell to turn the light on at dusk. A timer can also control this type of lighting. The deck rail can have a string of solar lighting around it or you could install a post-mounted lamp at each corner of the deck.
Solar floodlights can be positioned around the yard to provide light for darker corners of the yard and insure that walkways are well lighted. Any yard gates or deck entranceways can be fitted with lights with motion sensors, which would turn the lights on when anyone approaches. The lights can be programmed to automatically turn off after a few minutes so they do not stay on.
As you can see there are many options for lights to be placed around your deck and yard. There is no need to incur the expense of an electrician and no operating costs either. One good brand of lighting to consider for your home is Westinghouse solar lights.
Related posts:
- Harness the Sunlight- Use Solar Lights
- Solar Rock Lights: The Magnificent Outdoor Lighting
- Solar Lights – An Easy Way To Go Green
- Solar Patio Lighting for the Best lighting Experience
- Low Voltage Solar Post Lighting
- Styling a Garden with Outdoor Garden Lights
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