Solar LED lighting benefits

Solar powered LED lighting is increasingly being used for street lights, residential lighting and even safety lights for construction, schools and other uses.

There are several reasons that people are making the switch to solar LED lighting, because of its benefits:

1.  LED lights use DC (Direct Current) Power

When solar electricity is generated by panels, it is in the form of direct current (DC), rather than alternating current (AC) which is what you get when you plug into an electrical outlet.  Solar LED lights are especially efficient, compared to CFL or other lamps used in solar lighting because they do not require a converter.  This is because LED lights use DC power, which is the same as that which is generated by solar panels.  Any other type of lighting requires a converter before running on solar power, which results in a loss of energy.

2.  LED Lights Have Better Light Output

For solar lighting, use of LED lights have better light output.  They also can be used along the entire lighting spectrum, from bright blue-white to a soft warm glow.  Of course, LED lights come in clear (white) and colored lamps, which allow for creative applications ranging from holiday lights to solar garden lighting projects.

3.  LED Lights are Brighter and More Visible

This is my favorite feature of LED lights!  Not only are they brighter, which makes them more visible, even in daylight or foggy conditions, but they use less energy to burn so effectively (and efficiency).  Bright white LEDs have a superior CRI (color rendition index) for better illumination than traditional light bulbs.

4. LED Lights Use Less Energy

Solar LED lighting is a perfect fit because solar panels can easily generate enough power for their illumination.  Compared to CFLs, LEDs use 1/3 less power, and even less the energy required for incandescent lamps.  Because they are brighter and require less power, fewer LED street lights are required for the same amount of coverage, and municipalities and private property owners save money over time.

5.  LED Lights Last Longer

Solar panels last at least 25 years, so it only makes sense to use them with LED lights, as opposed to other types of lamps.  LEDs have at least a 10-year life expectancy, which is at least double that of halide or CFLs.  Solar LED lighting is a great example of install it and forget it when it comes to street lamps and other long-term light requirements.

Love these solar powered tulip garden lights

Solar panels are either embedded in the light fixture itself, or may stand alone to be positioned to capture the best UV light for illumination.  The benefits to solar lighting include ease of installation (no need for trenching or wiring), pleasant ambiance and no cost lighting – in other words, you won’t pay for any electricity for solar powered patio and garden lights.  This is because they run on 100% free and clean solar power.

Lovely solar powered patio lights

You can find solar lighting at just about any home improvement store and other major retailers like WalMart and Target.  Its also easy to shop for solar powered patio and garden lights online.

Whether you want to illuminate a walkway, decorate your deck or fence with a strand of LED solar lights, or add charm to your garden with whimsical designs, solar lighting allows you flexibility and convenience without the worry of higher electricity bills.

Many kits cost less than $50, and can give you season after season of solar lighting.  Because you don’t have to fuss with wiring, its easy to reposition the lights to change the look of your yard.  They are also safer for people with pets and small children.

Have you installed solar powered patio or garden lights at your home?

What do you love most about these environmentally-friendly lighting options?

This is the absolute brightest solar-powered, motion-activated outdoor security floodlights on the market. The 80 LEDs never burn out or need changing. This environmentally friendly unit puts out the light equivalent of a 40 watt halogen bulb without using one bit of electricity, drawing the free power of the sun. This means low energy costs and low environmental impact with an amazing amount of light. Installation is so simple, no electrician needed.

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Glowing Solar Garden Lights

I was very impressed with these new glowing solar garden lights on the market from Allsop Home and Garden.  As with most garden solar lights, you need not worry about installing wires or plugging in for ambiance.  What makes these solar lights special is the unique, artistic designs.  From hand-blown glass bulbs to nylon or silk lanterns, they shine with solar-powered lights and rechargeable batteries.

While you are saving money on energy, you can also smile at the cost-savings for purchasing these garden solar lights.  For less than $60, you can pick from many amazing products that can literally light up your backyard.

From patios to decks – even poolside – there are plenty of spots for you to place solar lights.  Perhaps the most amazing thing is that they work like the glow-in-the-dark stars many parents stick on the ceilings of their kids’ bedrooms.

During the day, the garden solar lights absorb UV light and store solar energy.  At nightfall, a sensor “tells” the lights when its getting dark.  The solar garden lights turn on, and use rechargeable AAA batteries to illuminate.  As the batteries lose power, the glow fades until morning, when the recharging cycle starts again.

Light up your backyard without worrying about your utility bill.  You’ll be able to find many options for solar lighting not only at allsopgarden.com, but other online and traditional retailers.

Where will you be placing your solar garden lights this year?

What if our building interiors could be lit by sunshine from outside?

Did you know that lighting the interiors of our homes and offices consumes nearly 40% of all energy generated in the country?  Other than installing compact fluorescent bulbs and diligently turning off appliances, what can you do to cut your monthly electric bill?  Have your heard about about hybrid solar lights?

Hybrid solar lights (aka HSL) are not your typical solar power product.  Instead of using solar panels to capture energy and convert it into electricity, hybrid solar lights work by literally bringing the sunshine into a room through the use of optical fibers.

Here is a demonstration of a hybrid solar light set-up:

Your new office!

The future looks bright for hybrid solar lights.  For starters, the efficiency rate is considerably higher than for conventional solar panels.  As much as 50% of sunlight collected by a hybrid solar light system can be used to illuminate building interiors.  This is in comparison to 15-25% efficiency rate of PV panels.

Equally impressive is the fact that hybrid solar lights will not put off heat as does conventional lighting.  This means that you’ll have to pay much less in A/C costs during warm times of the year.  Why is this?  The light collectors filter out infrared light, which is the biggest heat emitter on the spectrum.

Do you suffer from depression or the winter blues?  Hybrid solar lights may be an effective form of treatment.  Just as if you were out in the sunshine, the lights emit a full spectrum of light.  Ordinary fluorescent bulbs have limited lighting spectra.

The hybrid solar light technology is fairly straightforward.  Rooftop collectors are first installed, equipped with tracking devices to maximize sunlight exposure.  When sunshine strikes the collectors, the natural light is focused onto a bundle of more than 100 optical fibers, which literally act as “pipes” for the sunlight.

The optical fibers are connected to specialized hybrid solar light fixtures on the interior of the building.  A single collector can power about eight HSL fixtures.

But what if its not sunny?  No worries!  You will still have light in your home or office.  As part of the hybrid solar light system, photosensors will automatically adjust the amount of electric current required to keep the room light.  One drawback of HSL is that the length of the optical fibers affect their efficiency.  Longer fibers do not illuminate as effectively as short ones.  For this reason, some people are only installing hybrid solar lights on the top floors of their buildings.

For now, HSL are best suited for office environments given the cost and other practical issues.  And speaking of cost, plan on spending about $3,000 per 10,000 square feet illuminated with hybrid solar lights.  You can purchase the lights through Sunlight Direct.

I am amazed at this new technology!  I would love to see hybrid solar lights incorporated into schools and universities, apartment buildings and more.  The sky is not the limit!