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?

Solar Powered Christmas Lights

Now that Thanksgiving is behind us, its officially the Christmas season!

In order to save green – and have a bit more for holiday shopping – have you considered solar powered Christmas lights?

LED holiday lights are brighter and more energy efficient, and they last longer than the alternative.  You can string lights all over your home, yard and tree for a fraction of the cost.

Today, you can find many solar powered Christmas lights on the market.  LED lights use progressive technology to save energy and burn brighter.  Add a solar panel charger, and you can have practically zero-cost Christmas lights.

Did I mention beauty?

Solar powered Christmas lights are gorgeous and long-lasting.  They are the perfect item for long term investment in holiday decorations.

You can find solar powered Christmas lights at many hardware and home improvement stores.  Also, online stores sell LED holiday lights, as well.

Happy Decorating!

Solar powered LED street lights

LED street lighting can better illuminate roads and walkways, and save municipalities money.  Using funds from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 , cities and counties across the nation are turning to solar powered street lights, as well as other LED street lighting options.

Compared to “typical” street lights, LED lights use significantly less energy and last longer.  Even if they are slightly more expensive at the outset, they pay for themselves in savings over time.

Is it any wonder that solar powered LED street lights are appearing on more roadways than ever before?

Not only municipalities, but private property owners use LED street lights to illuminate parking lots and pathways.  School districts are increasingly choosing LED lights to brighten sports stadiums, as well.

Of course, with the Christmas season upon us, LED holiday lights are also glowing on homes, buildings and trees!

When solar energy is used to power LED lights, there is no need for trenching and wiring.  Often, solar panels are positioned at the top of the street lamp itself.  Ultraviolet light is absorbed during the day and then, at night the lights come on automatically and glow until dawn.

Sounds like a really bright idea to me!

Solar lights along a walkway

Last weekend, we replaced our old grill on the patio.  That led to planting some containers of flowers, which made me want to string lights along the back deck for extra ambiance.  Its so easy to improve your garden with solar lights!

Whether you want to light up your patio (like we did), illuminate a pathway, or bring attention to garden specimens, solar lights are easy and convenient to use.  No need for wiring or digging trenches.  Simply place the lights where you want them, and your home improvement project is done.  Simple as that!

Small solar panels absorb sunlight during the day and, at nightfall the garden solar lights automatically come on.  The light from these devices is soft and pleasing and will glow for 6-8 hours.  There are also solar-powered security lights that work even if the power is out!

Strands of lights can also be solar-powered

You can find solar lights at many home improvement stores, as well as major retailers like Target, Wal-Mart, Costco, etc.  They come in a wide variety of colors and styles to fit your personal taste.  Even strands of lights for the holidays can be solar-powered.

Here’s some of our favorite solar powered lights:

4-Piece Garden Solar Lights

Moonrays Vernona Style Solar Powered Path Lights

Wild Grass Solar Powered Lights

Designers Edge Solar Panel Shed Light

International Development Solar Snowflake Light

MAXSA Innovations Solar-Powered Security Floodlight

Solar Powered Security Light and Motion Detector

Good luck with your home improvement project this weekend!  Be sure to incorporate some garden solar lights!

Umbrella lit with LED lights

If you are like me, you will take any opportunity nature throws at you to eat a meal outdoors.  I will literally crane my neck to check out restaurant patios on which people are dining on a sunny day.  But what about when the sun goes down?  It is time to pack it up and come inside?  Not with a solar powered patio umbrella.

This unique gadget works by charging during the day with a solar panel that is installed on top of the patio or deck in your backyard.  When the sun shines (either directly or through the clouds), it charges batteries inside LED lights.  The light fixture can fit both standard and extra-large patio umbrellas.

I think that the solar powered umbrella lights sound perfect for my parents!  They have a large patio with 2 tables and umbrellas outside their Washington State home.  One of the umbrellas is lit up with regular electric lights, but since we usually only eat outside on sunny days, it makes perfect sense to outfit the patio umbrellas with solar powered LED lights.  Why should they plug in when they can go with solar powered patio gadgets that will brighten their umbrellas?

Solar powered driveway lights

What if you don’t have an outdoor table and chairs set, or perhaps you don’t want to light up your umbrella?  You can still have a solar powered patio with solar powered garden light.  Surprisingly, the solar lights work outside in any locale – sunny or not!  There are many companies that sell solar powered lights.  Just browse a bit on the Internet with that phrase.

Even better, go to your local home improvement store or Costco.  More and more often you can find solar powered gadgets and other solar items for your backyard regularly in stock.

Don’t forget strings of solar powered strings of lights.  They are not just for the holiday season!  Lights can brighten up railings any time of year.  In fact, they are so cheery, no wonder people leave them up year round.  And why worry?  When they are powered by energy from the sun, these strings of lights don’t cost you anything extra for the extended use.

We have already started to create a solar powered patio at our house.  And with the holidays near, we plan on helping other friends and family to convert to the clean, bright energy of the sun with creative solar presents.

What do you think?  Bright gift, or not?  What is on your list this year?