solar lights

Solar lights

Solar lights, are they worth it, can I recommend them etc so I thought I would write something 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)


This is the light I am testing		This is its solar cell


This is the LED solar light at night		This is a normal garden light at night

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. see you next year see here