SOLAR LIGHTS – SOLAR GARDEN LIGHTS

Questions and Answers

03/19/2011 By Solar Lights Plus More.com - Owner 

Here you will find some common answers to common questions that Solar Lights Plus More.com has received on outdoor solar lights and solar garden lights.

1.  What are the advantages that solar lights offer?

Solar lights and garden lights are very easy to install and require no wiring. They run from the power of the sun’s energy and cost almost nothing to operate (only the cost of replacing rechargeable batteries about every 2 years). Solar lights are environmentally friendly and help us the conserve electricity and energy from our regular resources.

2.  How do solar lights work and store energy?

Solar lighting is the easiest, safest and fastest type of outdoor lighting to install. Each light fixture contains a solar collector panel that converts sunlight from the sun into electrical energy. This energy is stored in rechargeable batteries that will charge during the day in the sunlight. Then with an automatic day and night sensor, will turn the light on at night. The light will use the stored energy from the battery to run the light about 8-12 hours. The automatic sensor will then sense when there is day light and turn the light off. And the cycle repeats itself. The automatic sensor is located on the top of the light head next to the solar panel and now on most new solar lights the sensor is part of the solar panel itself.

3.  How often would the rechargeable batteries in a solar light or solar garden light need replacing?

They will normally last between 18-24 months depending on a few variables. The batteries are designed to withstand about 1000 deep discharges and charges, which is at least 1000 nights of light. But this can change according to the weather conditions it has to with stand. Such as extremes of hot and/or cold weather conditions or if the solar panel is allowed to collect a lot of dust, dirt or mud not allowing it to fully charge everyday. See "Replace Solar Light Batteries How and When" for detailed information.

4.  What type of rechargeable batteries do solar lights – garden lights use?

Solar lights normally come with Ni-Cad battery (Nickel Cadmium) at 1.2V, AA or AAA, 600mAh-900mAh and use anywhere from 1-4 batteries per light depending on how many LED lights they may have. Now a few newer solar lights may come with NiMH (Nickel Metal Hydride) at 1.2V, AA, 1000mAh. 

We recommend replacing the battery with the same battery that the solar light came with.  This is only out of experience of testing both battery types in a solar light that came with Ni-Cad batteries.   The Ni-Cad with stood extremes of weather conditions better (hot to cold) and the LED light seem to be much brighter with the Ni-Cad compared to the NiMH battery. The Ni-Cad also kept the light on at night for a longer period of time. I had to replace the NiMh after only being used about 2 months and the Ni-Cad lasted almost 2 years.

The newer solar lights that may come with the NiMH battery is probably because it has a different type of solar panel than other solar lights have and the panel is designed to charge faster to work better with the NiMH. I believe that a NiMH to work and last longer needs to be charged at a faster rate than a Ni-Cad battery and solar lights charge at a slower rate, not fast enough for the NiMH to get a good and full charge. Thus draining its’ live span.

The recommendations above are only out of my experience with using many different types and kinds of solar lights and experimenting with these 2 types of rechargeable batteries. This is a question that you will find many different answers to on the Internet. As I have done many hours of research about it on the Internet. If you are an expert on rechargeable batteries and how they relate to the solar panels in solar garden lights please sent an email and let me know your expertise.

5.  How long do solar lights stay on?

The length of time that the LED lights will stay on will depend on the amount of sunlight they receive during the day. Most solar lights will stay lit for up to 8-12 hours when the batteries are fully charged in direct sunlight for 8-10 hours per day.

6.  What is the difference between incandescent or fluorescent lights and solar lights?

Solar lights use LED lights (Light Emitting Diodes). An LED is a semiconductor light source and emits light when connected to some type of electrical current. They originally were used as indicator lamps or lights (usually emitting low-intensity red light) in many devices, and are now used in many different lighting devices such as solar lights.  Today they are available in many different colors, including ultraviolet and infrared with very high, intense brightness.

Because solar lights use LED lamps they give off a different type of light then incandescent or fluorescent lights. A common error is to compare wattage between LED units and their incandescent or fluorescent colleagues. Wattage is a function of power consumption, not brightness.

A proper measuring stick for comparing outdoor lighting is lumen's or candle feet. This measures the brightness of the light. A typical LED will give off the equivalent of a 2-watt light bulb. LED units are very small compared to a regular light bulb, give off more intense light and have a different angel of dispersion than incandescent lighting that just glows all around.

Advantages of using LED units in solar lights are that LED lights can last up to 100,000 hours and will outlast the lifetime of the product. Also LED lights us very small amounts of energy.  The low voltage incandescent or fluorescent systems use more energy and needs bulb replacements often, which adds cost and inconvenience to the product.

7.   Are solar lights as bright as regular lights?

Solar lights are not usually as bright as other forms of outdoor landscape lighting. This will depend on how many LED’s your solar lights have. LED lights give you the benefit of a softer, more subtle illuminating accent lighting that will make your outdoor decorating look more stunning in the dark. Instead of the harsh, glaring light that you may find with regular outdoor lighting.

8.  How often will I need to replace the LED light in my solar light fixture?

In most, if not all solar lights, the LED’s themselves are not replaceable.  The wires of the LED diodes are normally fused (with solder) to the battery holder terminals or to wires leading to the battery holder. The life expectancy of a typical LED light exceeds 25 years, based on a running time of 10 hours per night. LED bulbs should out last the lifetime of the solar light product.

9.  What type of maintenance will I need to be concerned with for my solar lights or solar garden lights?

Solar lights require very little maintenance. They should have an occasional cleaning of the solar panel surface with a clean damp cloth. Regular battery checks to make sure the battery or batteries are still in good working order. Replacing the batteries as needed. Find a good sunny location for your solar light and solar garden lights to make sure they get the required sun light for charging their rechargeable batteries during sun light hours. For more information on the care of your solar lights visit our "Care Tips for Outdoor Solar Lights and Solar Garden Lights" page.

Do you have more questions about solar lights or solar garden lights that have not been answered here? Please send us an email at - info@solarlightsplusmore.com. Or please comment below. We will be more than happy to get your questions answered as well as adding them to this Q & A page.

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