Solar Living News

Outdoor landscape lighting comes in many forms with numerous uses. Primarily, you have a choice in the type of lighting you select and in many cases you can use a combination of both. For a bright constant glow you may choose low-voltage electrical landscape lighting. Although these lights are brighter they also come with a cost as monthly electrical bills will be impacted by this style of lighting. Furthermore, installing an electrical landscape lighting system is more complicated, requires various components, and offers less flexibility when comparable outside solar garden lights. The low voltage systems also depend upon an external electrical source.

No such complications exist with outdoor solar garden lights, the other primary style of landscape lighting for homeowners to consider. True, the intensity of a driveway solar light is not as bright as their low voltage counterpart, however cost of ownership, installation, and durability are superior to low-voltage electrical systems. Outdoor solar garden lights can be easily installed anywhere exposure to direct sunlight is available. Once a location is selected, solar garden lights also can be relocated with ease by simply removing the mount and reinserting into another location.

In many cases driveway solar lights and other solar powered pathway lights are mounted onto a ground stake that’s easily tapped into the ground. The driveway solar light fixture is then mounted on top of the stake and secured with a twist or snapping mechanism. Other outdoor solar lights can be mounted directly on top of the ground along curbing, on steps and stairs, and on other solid structures such as fences or posts. Typically, all mounting hardware for these various applications are included with the light fixture.

Low voltage systems reduce the electrical current from 120 volts to 12 volts by utilizing a transformer. Obviously this system requires external electrical access and the need to dig a trench about 3 or 4 inches deep to bury the electrical cable mounted to the lights and connecting to the transformer. The 12-volt system costs also must include not only the light fixtures but also the transformer and electrical cable. In addition to longer installation periods for this system, a homeowner also must consider other issues like potential voltage drops for lights installed furthest from the transmitter. There’s less flexibility with electrical systems as the lights usually need to be installed in line allowing for the connection of the power cable between lights.

Certainly low voltage systems do emit a consistent light throughout the night whereas solar powered outdoor landscape lights reduce in intensity throughout the night and are least bright as the sun rises. However, a homeowner needs to consider all options before installing a lighting system. Solar lights offer a softer glow but they continue to be a very suitable outdoor lighting option. When considering ease of installation, overall cost of ownership, environmental benefits, and flexibility to the homeowner, solar landscape lighting offers many significant advantages.

One very common method utilizing solar energy is through outdoor solar lighting providing aesthetic appeal and added safety features for the many homeowners who choose to take advantage of the free and clean power from the sun. Now the home improvement and garden lighting market is literally flooded with unique solar landscape lighting options. When outdoor solar lighting first evolved we had to use the plain can-style lights and there was literally no variety or style to choose from.

Now solar garden lights have evolved just like solar technology has to include many more varieties of lights, and styles for many outdoor tastes. Solar lights are now present in stepping stones, on fences, and around plenty of garden and water features. Solar driveway and pathway lighting is available in many styles and pleasing LED colors. The softer glow of solar lighting provides plenty of illumination to safely navigate in and around your landscape without the harsher intensity of landscape lighting from electrical systems.

Furthermore, installation is a snap with solar compared to electrical in-line systems. Solar lighting is much more versatile as it can be installed anywhere direct sunlight is present without the need for electrical access or trenching. Merely tap your solar landscape light post into the ground and mount your light fixture for constant maintenance free lighting. With electrical systems you may spend an entire day trenching and placing fixtures while trying to figure out the best way to bury electrical lines and power cords.

Now there are multiple applications for your outdoor solar lighting fixtures. These lights can now be mounted to hard surfaces and adjusted to display and various heights. Many can be mounted to existing posts or you can easily find elegant 19th century solar gas lamp style post light for an old fashioned appeal. Other varieties can be mounted at ground level around a pond or floating in a pond. If you are looking at solar landscape lighting you will have plenty of styles and options to meet your style and function. Once you have selected your outdoor solar powered lights, they operate cost free and maintenance free for many years. This cannot be said for electrical landscape lighting models.

There are modern advances in solar garden lighting to improve performance as well. Consider many models manufactured by Gama Sonic USA that includes their patented cone reflector. This cone shaped cylinder inside many solar driveway and pathway lights increases the brightness and longevity of the glow each night. You can now take your time and shop many stores and locations for a variety of solar landscape lights to fit your needs at very reasonable prices. You can certainly smile realizing that you are protecting your wallet and the environment when choosing solar.

Sure it’s freezing cold across most of the country and snow blankets many of our front yards. Now is the time to cozy up to a good book and a crackling fire as staying warm inside far outweighs any thoughts of outside home maintenance. However, the fact remains that outdoor solar garden lighting is a great safety feature for any home for many reasons.  Primarily, safety and security is just as important in the winter as it is during warmer months. You and your family need to watch your step on icy walkways and you should show house guests the same courtesy.  At the same time a well lit home also presents itself as a busy home leaving strangers with other places to consider.

Stay warm and secure inside and out with a well lit home that is safe and secure and it stays that way for free. By installing solar landscape lighting you provide outdoor lighting for free with clean electricity from the sun that is environmentally and economically friendly. Perhaps best of all you don’t have to wait for spring to install solar garden lights as they are simply staked into the ground without any wiring or electrical access.

Right now at www.solarselectives.com you will find great prices on colorful quality outdoor solar garden lighting available in many bright LED colors and light styles. Many styles like the globe shaped <a href=”http://www.solarselectives.com/product/35005″>GS-35 Solar Accent Light</a> are reduced by at least 25% off our low regular discount prices. Or you can line your driveway and pathways for safe night time navigation with the GS-335 solar accent light available in multiple LED colors with various display and mounting options.

The initial investment for solar panels may seem with high front-end overhead to be later offset by keeping the property long enough for it to pay off through the long-term cost savings of electricity. In the United States, there are many rebates and tax incentives that you can take advantage of to assist in offsetting the large front end costs for solar panel systems. Most power companies will offer a rebate for solar panel systems along with other federal program incentives. If you are planning to reside in your home for a long period of time a solar panel system will certainly pay for itself typically within about 5-8 years.

A positive certainty to your investment in solar panels is that once you purchase a system, your costs are basically fixed. In other words your cost for those panels is set as you have already paid for that energy by already purchasing the solar panels. The cost of electricity will continue to rise and significant increases are common as most consumers already realize. At some point you will end up paying less than non-solar users for the same amount of energy. How long it takes before you are paying less depends on how much your panels cost and how much you would have been paying if you continued to purchase electricity from your power company.

A ball park figure to install solar power to supply your home would roughly cost approximately $20,000 or about $10 per watt. If you are not up to this investment just yet, you can also use solar power to reduce costs for smaller household functions as well. For example you could purchase and install a small solar powered system that could power your computer and a couple of other small household appliances for about $800-$1,000.