Solar Yard Lighting Resources

LED Lights: A Quick Overview To Get You Started

2009-03-25T01:54:00.000-07:00

A LED (light-emitting diode) is a light source. It was created in the early 20th Century, but was not introduced as a practical electronic light source until 1962. The early versions of LED lights emitted a low-intensity red light, but modern LED lights are available in various intensities, wavelengths, and high brightness.

The semiconductor diode is the basis for LED lights. When the diode is switched on, electrons recombine and the energy produced in this process is released as light. This is called electroluminescence. The energy gap of the semiconductor determines the color of the light. The cool thing about this process is that it can be done in the small area of the LED bulb.

LED lights have many advantages over traditional lighting options. They use less energy, have a longer life span, perform just as well as traditional light bulbs, and are much smaller than traditional light bulbs. However, they are relatively expensive and require to precise conditions to perform optimally.

LED lights can be used in various capacities. They are used in the majority of solar lighting fixtures and in many low voltage lighting fixtures. Overall, they are used as low-energy alternatives for traditional light bulbs in common lighting fixtures (house lamps, yard lamps, car lights, etc.). They compact nature of LED lights also allows them to be used in video displays. Furthermore, they are use in communication technologies due to their high switching rates.

Solar Christmas Lights: Design Ideas

2009-03-19T03:51:00.001-07:00

Solar Christmas lighting is a very practical and dependable lighting option for your holiday design needs. Using solar powered lights, solar panels and rechargeable solar batteries, the result is Christmas lights that burn bright, long, inexpensively, and safely.

Here’s a design idea. Hanging your solar Christmas lights on your trees. You can easily place your lights around the tree, allow them to charge during the day time, and have a really neat lighting design at night. You will probably need about 60 lights on a tree, so plan accordingly.

Because of new technology developments, miniaturization and using LED lights you can experiment and discover innovative designs you had no idea you could pull off. And they are available in many different fixtures and bulb styles. You do not have to just use your lights during the holiday season. With the right design, they could be used for the entire year. Since they do not cost anything, the decision to use them year round is up to you.

The really cool thing is there are many different fixture designs you can choose from. You can choose string lights, stake lights, reindeer, santa clause or pretty much anything related to Christmas. And they are available in a variety of colors.

So get in the holiday spirit, pick up some solar Christmas lights, and start designing.

External Resources:
Solar Christmas Lights: A practical guide
Solar Christmas Lights: Better way to power your celebration

Technology Advances in Solar Garden Lights

2009-03-18T20:40:00.000-07:00

If you have used solar garden lights in the past, you may have been disappointed with their poor quality and cost. However, over the past few years, drastic improvements have been made. They are now cost effective, durable, and dependable. Solar garden lights are now a viable lighting solution for your landscaping needs.

The cool thing about solar garden lights, in comparison to low voltage lights, is that they can be placed pretty much anywhere and you don't have to worry about wires or transformers. Most solar lighting fixtures are entirely self-contained. The battery and solar panel are enclosed within the fixture itself. Just make sure they receive a good bit of sunshine during the day so that the solar panel can charge the battery. If you fail to put you solar garden lighting fixtures in direct sunlight for 5- 9 hours, the battery may not receive a full charge. This will affect the brightness and how long the lights stay on at night.

New solar garden lights use high capacity batteries and more efficient solar panels. This allows the fixture to be exposed to less sun but still be able to fully charge the battery. Another cool new feature is the charge regulator. It stops the battery from charging once it is fully charged. You no longer have to worry about overcharging your batteries and decreasing the life of the battery.

External Sources:
Solar Garden Lights: A great to light your landscape
My Solar Lighting Shop