An important factor to consider before purchasing solar garden lights for your home is to understand how they work. With some basic knowledge you will be able to decide how and where you will use your solar lights.

The first benefit that you notice is that there is absolutely no need for electrical power. Each light has its own self-sustaining light source. They capture energy from the sun and throughout the day they produce and store their own power. When night arrives they automatically release the solar energy as light.

When you examine the components of a solar light, you see that modern technology has simplified the process of solar light generation. Basically; there is an outer case that holds all the components. On top is the solar cell that captures the suns energy and normally a single AA Nicad battery. Then there is a small controller board, an LED light source and finally a photoresistor that detects darkness.

The solar cells collect the solar energy and then the energy is transferred and stored in the Nicad battery. When the evening light diminishes, the photoresistor detects the darkness and allows the battery to send the power to the LED light.

This allows you to take the power of our sun and effectively light just about anything or any area that you want. This is all accomplished without wasting any energy or paying for the light that you use.

As you plan how you will use your solar lights, keep in mind that you need to install them so that they are not shaded. Not only trees, but also garden structures and landscaping will block the suns rays. If you have a mixture of partial sun and shade you may want to consider using both solar powered lights and electricity powered lights.

The amount of sunlight that a solar light captures during the day determines how long the light will remain lit at night. If it is a heavily overcast day then it is most likely that the batteries will not store enough power to stay on for a full 8-10 hours at night.

The installation is very simple, and the benefits of the increased night time visibility, the additional safety factors and of course highlighting the beauty of your special landscaped areas add to the enjoyment of your outdoor living areas.

Copyright © Alvin Reed

Alvin Reed