Solar lights
Solar lights, are they
worth it, can I recommend them etc so I thought I would write
about them and then you can decide.
There are a variety of solar lights available on the
market, which ones you buy is entirely up to you.
A solar garden light usually has a Light Emitting
Diode to provide the light. The first ones had an amber LED as there was
no such thing as a white LED.
They work by having a small solar cell on the top
which converts the sunlight into electricity, this electricity charges a
rechargeable cell (battery, but it really is a cell, a combination of
cells make a battery) When its dark the solar light comes on and runs
until the cell is flat, the length of time depends on how much sun the
solar cell received and how good the electric cell is.
The price has been coming down and down over the
years, but what you have to ask yourself is, is too cheap any good?
The answer now is no, as unless it has multiple LED'S
and a big enough battery and solar cell then there is not a lot of
difference, Being as most garden solar lights only have one LED they do
not give that much light, but are ideal for markers, not to light
features.
I am testing this solar LED Light so you can see how well
it does (or doesn't)
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This is the light I am testing |
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This is its solar cell |
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This is the LED solar light at night |
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This is a normal garden light at night |
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This page was written 27/ 08 / 07 The same day the
light was "installed"
Oh sorry about the gaudy
colour of the light, it was either that or
PINK
Conclusion
28 10 07, First day (first day after clocks
went back) the light stayed on for just over an hour,
On all days it was timed the light stayed on for
just close to or some times just over an hour.
This is because the solar cell needs a lot of
bright sunlight to charge the battery, there is not much bright
sunlight in winter, which is when you really need the light. The
light is not that bright anyway, its ideal for a marker light but
not much else. If you want to light your garden / path, I suggest
that you get low voltage lights (supplied by the mains via a
transformer) these will stay on for as long as you like.
2008 update.
During the summer months they did stay on for a
few hours, but as it was never that dark when they come on they were
not that much use, again now its dark early and not much sun
in the day, they stay on for about 30 minutes, which is not really a
lot of use, since it gets dark early, so when you come home from
work you have no lights.
2009 note;
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Of what use are solar lights when it snows? This one you
can clearly see the snow has covered the solar panel |
Want to have your say? then let me know
Solar panels
see here
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