Solar Living News

It makes me a little giddy inside when I see a house with all those solar panels on the roof. OK that may be a bit weird but they are kind of cool looking and it shows environmental spirit and leadership. This is an example of a homeowner who is investing in the environment and his or her own home as well. No more dirty energy, no more electricity price hikes, and pretty soon no more power bills. That is an action step!

Now solar panels are catching on more than ever. I came across an article te other day about DIY solar installation. Some of our favorite mass retailers like Home Depot and Lowes are stocking them for online or onsite purchase for do-it-yourselfers. Is this is a good idea? Fixing a clogged toilet or changing the oil in your car is one thing but installing your own solar system…hmmm not so sure. In addition to the electricity that you will need to navigate you also have plenty of permission slips to get from utility companies and your city government before climbing up the ladder with large expensive solar panels usually costing about a grand each.

The popularity of solar energy has tripled since 2005 according to the Interstate<object Renewable Energy Council. It is estimated that a quarter million US homes generate some solar energy and a recent poll by the Solar Energy Industries Association indicates that half of the people surveyed were considering solar power for their home or business. Obviously popularity for solar energy is continuing to rise and it will be interesting to see if costs for home solar panels decrease over the next couple of years.

Many customers interested in converting to a solar home were already purchasing solar powered water heaters, outdoor solar landscape lighting, LED bulbs, and other energy saving items. These are a few ways home and business owners can prep their properties and convert to full solar power with a smaller footprint compared to a home with no energy efficient equipment or appliances.

Although do-it-yourself is going to occur regardless, as a third of total costs can be saved this way, most people still rely on professional installation. With grants and incentives available to home and business owners for converting to solar power, a professional install makes sense and probably will save a lot of headaches and accidents.

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.

Most homeowners understand that outdoor solar lighting is a great option to support environmental awareness and as a means of saving money by preserving electricity. These elements obviously support one another as the utilization of the sun to power your outside landscape lighting saves electricity and hence show on your power bill each and every month.

Maybe less obvious to most is another feature solar powered garden lighting brings to your home, added safety and security. This could prove to be the most beneficial aspect brought to you courtesy of solar powered home lighting. At no additional charge, outdoor solar lighting can help protect your home and most importatnly your family from possible unwanted intruders. Your home will always appear to be occupied and busy after the sun sets thanks to the glow of your yard. This is a perimeter feature that may have potential burglars thinking that your home is not such an easy target.

Furthermore, you and your family will be able to freely navigate throughout your yard with reduced risk of tripping or other hazards that may reveal themselves without the presence of night time lighting. A subtle but noticeable glow throughout your yard courtesy of solar powered landscape lighting certainly brings out the beauty and character of your home and garden and provides just one more deterrant from possible intruders.

As you plan your outdoor landscape lighting layout, you can place a variety of solar powered lights around your home to improve safety. Of course there is no guarantee that your home will always remain safe, lighting is a great perimeter deterrent from potential burglars. Adding a home alarm with your landscape lighting obviously adds safety and security to your

There are great benefits to homeowners who decide to install outdoor garden lighting. Home beautification during evening and night time hours along with higher levels of safety and security helps families and visitors navigate throughout the yard after the sunsets while giving potential intruders a reason to stay away.
After determining that outside landscape lighting is right for you then you will have to make a decision about the type of outside lighting you would like to display around your yard. Solar or electric or maybe you may want a combination of both. You can review the pros and cons of each type and decide which best fits your needs and your budget.

Light emitted by electrical outdoor lighting systems is brighter and remains more constant compared to solar powered landscape lights. However, be aware of their Total Cost to own should you choose electrical lighting. After purchasing electrical in-line systems also remember you will pay for the electricity to power them each month. In additiona to the light fixtures themselves, a transformer is needed for the 12v systems often adding an additional cost of $200 to your investment.

Many people who choose this system will favor a low voltage system to reduce the power consumption for these lights. Also installation time required for this landscape lighting style and accessibility to an outside power source need to be major planning considerations. Outdoor solar powered lighting is not limited to these considerations providing that there’ access to direct sunlight. Solar lights can be installed just about anywhere around your landscape as they are individually installed and of course do not require any electrical power source.

For more information about outside solar powered landscape lighting and other energy savin information check out http://www.solarselectives.com

The solar outdoor accent lighting market of today offers many great landscape lighting styles and components allowing homeowners great flexibility when selecting solar garden lights. From driveway solar lights to solar powered spotlights and the old fashioned solar lamp post, there are many shapes and styles to choose from. No more boring cheap outdoor solar lighting from years past, solar landscape lighting now comes in a variety of colors powered through super-bright LED bulbs set within each light fixture.

Solar garden lighting also can be displayed with a variety of options as well. Now there are solar powered lights for ground level application on direct surfaces to highlight stairs or tripping hazards. The most traditional and probably the most popular display style are the stake supported lights mounted 12-24 inches above ground as driveway solar lights and to illuminate pathways. As the outdoor solar garden light industry gains in popularity due to environmental and economic benefits new and unique solar outdoor yard lighting such as the 19th century gas lamp style solar lamp posts continue to be developed by solar lighitng manufacturers. These maybe the most powerful of all outdoor solar garden lights as they are mounted high off the ground to illuminate a wider radius of your yard and landscape. These attention grabbing lights are made to be admired with their weather resisten iron lamp posts measuring four to seven feet in height with mounted solar powered accent llights featuring glass beveled panes with a 19th century gas lamp style appeal.

Say goodbye to the boring cookie cutter cheap outdoor lighting fixtures that used to be the norm when outdoor solar garden lights first hit the market many years ago. Variety is the spice of life and variety is what you find with multiple solar garden lighting styles and colors to consider. Solar landscape lighting manufacturers like Gama Sonic USA are creating great options for environmentally conscious homeowners everywhere.

There are now plenty of choices when considering garden and yard lighting. You have numerous styles of lighting and colorful outputs to choose from allowing you to be creative and flexible with your landscape lighting needs. With all of these choices the lighting output options basically boils down to electrical lighting systems, including low voltage outputs, or solar power lighting options.

If you are looking only at light output or illumination intensity and providing that cost is not a real concern for you then lighting using an outside electrical source is your optimum choice. However, if money and environmental conservation are important to you then solar power lighting is a great option for you to choose when adding safety and security to your yard at night. When considering Total Cost of Ownership solar landscape lighting by far outperforms the electrical lighting systems.

If you are going to select solar lighting for your exterior lighting needs, it is important to understand the basic components and the functions of a solar powered accent light. As a totally self-functioning unit, a solar light is a pretty incredible advancement.

These lights function on the most abundant energy source, our sun, they virtually require no maintenance, are simple to install, and last for at least 20,000 hours far outperforming any traditional light.

By day the light soaks up the solar energy emitted by the sun and stores it into a Nicad Battery then the energy is released after the sun sets to power the LED bulb or bulbs emitting light throughout the evening. This cycle repeats itself day in and day out without any help or maintenance from you.

The primary components of a solar light includes a top mounted solar panel to receive energy from the sun throughout the day. Most solar powered lights on the market are constructed from a plastic shell or casing although more expensive models, such as many solar powered lamp posts, may include metal or stainless steel construction. Some premium ground mounted solar garden lights are constructed of stainless steel and feature glass panes emphasizing a more elegant and intense glow.

Other solar light components include a control board and a special Nicad Battery. Some solar lights may use a NiMh rechargeable battery which some claim as being more environmentally friendly. The rechargeable battery is the most likely component of a solar lighting fixture needing replacement. All rechargeable batteries have a lifecycle and it is suggested that the batteries be replaced annually for optimal solar lighting performance. In warmer climates the battery life may be shorter but annual replacement will allow for uninterrupted performance.

Throughout the day the solar energy collected by the sun recharges the battery. The control board receives its energy source from both the battery and the solar cell. At sun set the battery stops charging and the photoresistor, think of it as a switch, is activated and powers the LED or Light Emitting Diode. With a healthy battery charge the LED may remain lit for a 12 hour cycle although the intensity of the light emitted from the LED slowly reduces throughout the night.

There are now plenty of choices when considering garden and yard lighting. You have numerous styles of lighting and colorful outputs to choose from allowing you to be creative and flexible with your landscape lighting needs. With all of these choices the lighting output options basically boils down to electrical lighting systems, including low voltage outputs, or solar power lighting options.

If you are looking only at light output or illumination intensity and providing that cost is not a real concern for you then lighting using an outside electrical source is your optimum choice. However, if money and environmental conservation are important to you then solar power lighting is a great option for you to choose when adding safety and security to your yard at night. When considering Total Cost of Ownership solar landscape lighting by far outperforms the electrical lighting systems.

If you are going to select solar lighting for your exterior lighting needs, it is important to understand the basic components and the functions of a solar powered accent light. As a totally self-functioning unit, a solar light is a pretty incredible advancement. They function on the most abundant energy source, our sun, they virtually require no maintenance, and are simple to install. By day the light soaks up the solar energy emitted by the sun and stores it into a Nicad Battery then the energy is released after the sun sets to power the LED bulb or bulbs emitting light throughout the evening. This cycle repeats itself day in and day out without any help from you.

The primary components of a solar light includes a top mounted solar panel to receive energy from the sun throughout the day. Most solar powered lights on the market are constructed from a plastic shell or casing although more expensive models, such as solar powered lamp posts, may include metal or stainless steel components and glass panes. Other solar light components include a controlled board, a special Nicad Battery to store the sun’s energy throughout the day, an LED bulb for efficient light display throughout the night, and a photoresister which acts like a switch and detects nightfall.

These simple components allows the homeowner to have great felxibility in deciding where to place the solar lights and peace of mind with the money and electricity that is saved month after month. If you are lighting your yard and do not require a super magnificent lighting display there are many advantages to outdoor solar yard lighting

You have a beautiful yard with many landscape features that deserve attention day or night. Now you have decided to install lights in your yard to capture the beauty of your garden’s unique features and bring them to life after the sun goes down. Now you have to decide which type of lights will best meet your needs. Solar powered landscape lights or an electric system also including a low-voltage system. Both styles offer benefits and drawbacks so hopefully this information can assist in creating a the perfect lighting backdrop to help your yard stand out.

Cost: When selecting a style of light fixture for your yard from a series of accent lights to line a drive or walkway to spotlights or floodlights, there will be many options to review to help your purchase be the right one. Solar used to offer very limited styles of landscape lights with very plain designs being the norm when they were first introduced on the market. As far as the actual fixtures are concerned there is not a lot of difference in purchase price. However, solar power lights have a huge advantage as they do not require any operational costs as harnessed sunlight by day results in free lighting at night. With electric lightis, even lov-voltage styles, there wll always be a need to supply electricity no matter how efficient they operate. If you live in an area that receives regular sunlight, solar lights will be much cheaper to own.

Illummination: In this area solar powered garden lights will not be as bright as their electric styles. Electric lights will shine brighter and many versions can operate off a low-voltage system. Electrical spotlights are especially brighter than solar but their high intensity bulbs also create a lot of heat and they require strategic placement to prevent damage to plants. Solar is not as bright and its illumination fades as the morining sun approaches but they do not radiate any heat thus providing a safer operating light option.

Solar Landscape Lighting Installation: This is a big advantage for solar powered lights as they are easily installed anywhere in your yard as long as direct sunlight isavailable. With electrical lights they require access to electricity via an external outlet which are not always convenient to your needs. Elctircal lights require the use of lines which must be buried and can be easily dug up, tripped over, and affected in time by poor weather.  A simple tapping of a mounting stake in any area througuhout your yard is all that’s needed to install a solar light.