Decorative Solar

There's a ton of solar Halloween decorations available this year.  From headstones to gargoyles and jack-o-lanterns, it's easy to power night time creepiness with day time sunlight.

Why clutter your yard with cables and wires when you can simply stick a decorative element where you want it and then rely on it to light up automatically as the sun goes down? Tektrum and Malibu are leading the way with these seasonal solar novelties. Most of this stuff wasn't even available last year, so you'll be the first on your block to embrace the new "Green Halloween" trend.

My favorites are after the jump, or you can click here to see a comprehensive list of solar Halloween decorations.

Read more »

Ah, garden gnomes, the Hummel figurines of the outdoors. Love 'em or hate 'em, they're not only here to stay, they're going hi-tech.

Some, like the one at left, perhaps leave something to be desired.  Others, however, often cleverly and subtly implement solar and LED technology into quaint little garden figurines.

Just like gnomes in your yard, the advantages are pretty obvious.  Lights can be placed in a way that doesn't interfere in the decor of the garden, and in fact in a way that is consistent with it.  

After the jump, there are large variety of solar gnomes for you to peruse for your gnoming pleasure.

Read more »

Leaving your Christmas lights up all year long just got classy! Twinkling solar string lights can be woven into bushes or wrapped around tree branches to create a magical effect in your yard, all year round.

String lights use a single solar panel - usually included with the lights but check the item description - that must be placed in an exposed area.  Depending on the exposure and charge acquired through the panel, the LEDs may stay lit all night or just for 5 or 6 hours.

While advances in LED technology have made string lights brighter in recent years, you would need a large number of strings to illuminate your yard.  Think of them more as a decorative touch for the evenings.  However, if there's a dark spot or niche in your yard that doesn't need bright lights but could use a dollop of illumination, solar string lights might be a good choice.

Either way, they're pretty and you don't need to pay money to power them.

Read more »

I was talking with a friend today who's a dedicated outdoorsman, and he mentioned that he'd been using a solar battery charger on recent camping trips. Like a lot of people, he relies on current from his car while out in the woods. In his case he's got a nice stereo set rigged to his tailgate and he plays music out of it during the day while his friends are sitting around talking and eating. Obviously an inconvenience if the battery ran dry, he leaves a solar battery charger plugged in while the radio's going, and the battery never drains out.

The device is really convenient for him, because he can leave it hooked up all the time.  It never drains the battery and it guarantees a start in even the most difficult conditions.  Perhaps in a few years it will be standard equipment on new automobiles, so this could be your opportunity to stay ahead of the trend curve.

Read more »

The Las Vegas Review Journal takes on the issue of outdoor lighting and summarizes the options available. Solar garden lights are discussed first, but the author also gives attention to other options including low-voltage transformer lights and fluorescents:

Solar garden lights are powered by the sun's free energy and are the easiest to install. The solar charging panel, which is either part of the light unit or attached by a cord, requires sun to charge during the day. The light given off is soft, most commonly used along paths and stairs, and to gently highlight gardens. There has been a rapid advancement in bulbs, and it's now possible to get a brighter solar light using LED or low-voltage fluorescent bulbs.

In Las Vegas, which gets sunshine nearly every day of the year, it seems solar would be a no-brainer, but it's certainly true that you have more options if you're willing to invest the money in laying electrical cable.

[Lighting key to any design - Las Vegas Review Journal]

Read more »

The Detroit Free Press's Jim Dulley fielded a question from a homeowner about the practicality of contemporary solar lighting technology. Dulley writes, in part:

There have been significant improvements in the lighting performance, styling and overall quality of solar-powered lights. I use many of the attractive die-cast metal ones in my yard and gardens. They have greatly reduced the amount of time I have to use regular electric lights at night.

If you tried solar-powered light years ago, you will be surprised at how bright the new ones are. Instead of using mini-incandescent light bulbs, the best ones now use LEDs (light-emitting diodes). This is one of the most energy efficient lighting sources available today. These lighting devices have a life of 50,000 hours or more.

Another improvement has been in the efficiency of the mini-solar panels built into the top of the light fixture. They are less expensive now and are much more effective at converting the sun's light into electricity to charge the batteries during the daytime.

Dulley also describes the improvements in rechargeable battery technology that have trickled down into consumer devices. When you put the three things together - LEDs, improved solar panels and improved battery technology - you get a better outdoor light.

Check out the whole thing.

[Solar lights get a second look as energy bills rise - Freep.com]

The Providence Journal has a great article in its Sunday issue about solar lighting and important factors to consider when deciding what kind of lights to get and how to install them.

One of the critical parts of the article is the discussion about how important LED advances have been to solar lighting:

A brighter light: LEDs are five times brighter than the bulbs previously used in solar lamps, drawing about 45 milliamps. And, unlike conventional bulbs, they emit light but not heat when electricity passes through them. One LED emits roughly the same brightness as a two-watt bulb. Still, the light produced is about half that produced by a candle, which isn’t that much. As one expert notes, it’s enough light for you to differentiate your sidewalk from your lawn, but not enough to keep you from falling over your kid’s bicycle.

I know a fair amount about the topic but even I learned a bit.

Great article!

read more | digg story

Floating solar lights are a great way to add evening ambience to any pool or water feature in your yard or garden. Made out of clear plastic or lucite, floating solar lights are typically unobtrusive and difficult to see during the day, but at night light up in any color you desire, casting a charming glow through the water and the air.

There are many different varieties, some disc- or orb-shaped, while others are shaped like frogs or fish. Generally they have a solar panel along the top, a white or colored LED within and they light up as the sun sets. Some LEDs are very colorful, whereas others are meant to resemble candle or torch light, glowing white or soft yellow. A handful placed in a pool or pond can really bring a water feature alive at night.

Read more »

So you'd like to place a motion flood light somewhere on your property but don't want to pay an electrician to run a wire? A solar motion detector light may be the best way to go!

These lights are made possible by three innovations: cheap solar panels, improved rechargeable battery technology, and low-power (but very bright) LEDs.  The can be mounted just about anywhere you think is necessary to maintain good security on your property.

Some models come with an attached solar panel that can be pointed toward the south, whereas others come with a separate mounting bracket and cable to permit placing the light in areas where the sun might never be terrible strong.  Typically the included cables are fifteen feet long, which in nearly all circumstances should be sufficient to place the solar panel in a well-lit position.  As an example, if you were planning to place the light under the north-facing eaves of your roof, you could run the cable up, out or around to a position where the panel could receive better solar light.

Read more »

When it comes to solar path lighting, there are basically three varieties - stick-in-the-ground, mounted and string lights. The mounted type can be bolted on to a wall or the side of a house, or attached as post caps. String lights have become an increasingly popular solution, because of the convenience of winding them through bushes or tree limbs and their extreme portability.  However, most solar path lights sold in the U.S. are still on posts stuck in the ground.  

As path lighting, ground-level lights are most effective.  You should avoid placing lights near eye level - it's best to illuminate the ground without casting light upward where it will interfere with visitors' night vision.  

Solar lights are usually pretty sturdy, but they often take a lot of abuse from careless walkers and powered lawn tools.  Stainless steel and copper frames have become more popular in the least year or two, but these can be more expensive to replace when they are damaged, and they are not particularly sturdier than synthetic materials used in most lighting.  So yes, there's something magical about a verdigris encrusted solar light, but be prepared to shell out significantly more cash when a careless gardener drops a 75-pound bag of cedar chips on top of the light.

Caution goes double for very pretty, delicate-looking ground level lights. Make sure to put these in places where they're unlikely to get crushed. And of course, always look for areas where the lights will get lots of sun during the day so they work best at night.

Read more »