Andrea’s Garden Blog

If you live in a rental property or would like to decorate a vacation home, solar accent lights are great way to go green and save money.  Just about any outdoor lighting fixture that you might think of is now available in a solar powered model.  You can find tier lights to illuminate a walkway, pole lamps to light an outdoor living area, or hanging lights to drape over deck rails for a warm, festive ambiance.

When planning outdoor accent lighting, you can combine form with function.  Start by evaluating how you use your outdoor space.  If you spend a lot of time on your deck or patio, consider hanging solar string lights (also known as “fairy” lights because of the whimsical touch they bring) for instant charm.  They’re quick and… Continue reading the rest of this article...

Tags: accent, options, outdoors, solar lighting

Outdoor solar lighting uses the same technology to generate power as solar roof panels.  It does this by using photovoltaic (PV) cells, which collect solar energy and transform it to electricity.  These PV cells use semiconductors to absorb sunlight, which reacts with silicon and other elements to produce electricity.  This electricity travels through wires that provide power to the battery, which then provides power to the light fixture.  While this is an oversimplification of the process, it should give you general sense of how solar lights work.  Solar cells are only able to make electricity when exposed to direct sunlight; this is why solar lighting must have a battery in order to provide illumination at night.

A solar light fixture needs to be in an area that receives full, direct sunshine… Continue reading the rest of this article...

Tags: options, outdoors, solar lighting

Are you considering adding some charisma to your garden with solar lighting?  If so, it’s a good idea to do some planning to make sure that you combine the ambiance of garden lighting with practical function.  Here are some of the kinds of solar lights available, and some ideas for how to use them to best effect in your garden.

Solar path lights are simple and easy to install.  They can be inlaid into the ground to light walkways, gravel paths, or flower bed edges.  These lights typically have a built-in photo cell, which causes the light to come on automatically when it gets dark, along with a built-in battery compartment and solar panel. It’s best to place these in areas where they will receive direct sunlight to ensure that the… Continue reading the rest of this article...

Tags: options, solar lighting