Help The Planet Reduce Your Carbon Footprint By Using Solar Lights

Environmental awareness is at an all-time high - which is great news. However, although you might be concerned about the state of the planet, finding ways to put your eco-friendly aspirations into practice is a whole other ball of wax.

One of the easiest ways you can help the planet and reduce your carbon footprint is to rethink your lighting. Solar lights offer homeowners a great way to reduce their energy consumption - while at the same time, continuing to keep things adequately illuminated.

If you’re new to solar lighting, it might be time to give it a try. Here’s what you need to know.

Types of Solar Lights

At their core, solar lights are not complicated pieces of technology. They rely on the photovoltaic effect to consume energy that is produced by the sun and to store it in a rechargeable cell battery. Then, these lights power the solar lighting solution you choose to install on your property.

Solar lights are simple to install and require very little maintenance. Best yet, using a solar light won’t increase your energy bill. All kinds of solar lighting systems use solar cells and store the energy in batteries for nighttime use. Typically, batteries are made out of lead acid, sealed lead acid, and nickel-cadmium. 

Beyond that basic explanation, there are several types of solar lights you can choose from. Carefully consider how much illumination you need your solar lights to provide, as well as where your lights will be positioned. These factors will impact the ultimate success, cost, and appearance of your solar light project, and you’ll want to make sure you have the right types of solar lights for your job.

Solar path lights are most commonly used outdoors. These lights illuminate certain sections of your property, like your walkway or driveway, so that you can see in low-light conditions. They are not only utilitarian in purpose, but are also important for safety reasons. 

Decorative solar lights are typically not as bright as solar path lights since they are used primarily for ornamental purposes. There are all kinds of ways you can use this kind of lighting on your property, but some of your options include string lights, decorative solar lanterns, and blown glass lights. 

Solar spotlights tend to be the brightest kinds of solar lights you’ll find, since they’re designed strictly for one purpose - to provide as much light as possible exactly where it is needed. These lights usually produce just as much light as a 40-watt incandescent bulb. There are motion-detection options as well as those that stay on throughout the entire night (or in any low-light condition).

The options don’t end there, though these three are by far the most common options. You’ll also find pathway light sets, free standing lamp posts, security lights, and wall-mounted lamps that are powered solely by the sun. 

While some solar lighting systems are self-contained, meaning you just need to place the lights on a sunny spot, others keep the lights separate from the solar cell panel. The advantage of this kind of light is that you only need to put the panel in direct sunlight - the remainder of the unit can be installed wherever you’d like. 

No matter what kind of solar light you choose, it’s worth it to check with the manufacturer ahead of time to make sure replacement batteries and bulbs are available as needed. That way, if anything dies out or breaks, you can replace the individual small component rather than the entire unit.

Green Alternative

There are myriad benefits associated with using solar lights, but one of the most obvious is that they are environmentally friendly. Household lighting uses a ton of energy, but swapping out those fixtures with solar lights can help reduce your carbon footprint. The sun, after all, is a renewable resource.

At its very core, solar lighting is a green alternative to traditional lighting. Because it uses no power from the grid and is powered entirely by solar energy, you don’t have to worry about the power going out. The solar feeds the batteries during the day and even the batteries are usually recyclable. Hello, sustainability!

Low Cost Installation

Solar lights are also less costly to install, in most cases. In some cases, putting in solar lights is much less expensive than trenching grid power to the location where the lights are needed. If you’re installing large swaths of solar lights, you may still need to set poles, just like you would with lights powered by the standard grid. In some cases, you may still need large footers, too.

However, there won’t be any major underground conduit that extends from your main source of power and then from pole to pole. All of your wiring is instead located at the very top of the pole or a nearby pole. It’s also low voltage, making it safer to install and maintain.

Not only that, but you won’t have to worry about underground barriers, either. Things like roots, underground utilities, and other obstacles won’t be a problem. 

It should go without saying, but just in case, we’ll remind you once again - solar lighting requires no electrical outlets. This is an exceptional feature, especially when you consider how often landscaping or design ideas for your garden come to a screeching halt because you didn’t want to deal with running power to the project.

One of the best and brightest (no pun intended!) features of solar lighting is that the lights can be placed anywhere there is sun, without the use of power lines or wiring. The sun’s energy is truly everywhere, and while some spots are better than others for installing solar lights, just about anybody can benefit from this kind of system.

Of course, you will need ample amounts of sunlight for high-performing lights. The amount of sunlight you get around your home will likely affect the performance of your solar products. In technical terms, you need adequate “insolation,” which measures how much solar radiation energy lands on a surface at any given time. This can be expressed in many different ways, but in photovoltaics, it is usually measured as kilowatt-hours per year per kilowatt peak ratings.

Consider how much isolation your lights need when you’re planning out your solar projects.

Maintenance Free

Although you may need to replace or repair batteries and bulbs from time to time, solar lights are otherwise zero-maintenance systems.

Especially now that LED fixtures are so mainstream, you’ll find that, with correct installation, maintaining your commercial solar light system will only entail changing your batteries every five to even years or so. It’s also a good idea to visually check the light and glass fixtures of the solar panel and to clean any components you can reach. 

Otherwise, most components will have a lifespan of twenty or more years, with zero maintenance required. How’s that for stress-free ownership?

Zero Energy Costs

Solar lights also tend to be much more cost-effective than traditional lights. Not only do they offer significant energy savings than incandescent light bulbs, but they require fewer expenses in terms of upkeep and repairs, too.   

You’ll have no electrical power bills associated with your solar lights, and while the upfront costs of a large commercial system can be intimidating at first, it’s vital that you consider the overall savings. There are plenty of financial incentives that can reduce the costs of your system, too, such as tax breaks for homeowners who implement large-scale solar lighting systems in their homes.

Reduced Carbon Footprint

Not only will you not have to trench up your entire property to install hardwired lights powered by electricity, but with solar lighting, you’ll also reduce your carbon footprint.

What’s a carbon footprint? If you’re not familiar with this term, here’s the simple explanation - it’s the impact that you have on the environment as a result of your CO2 emissions that come from daily activities. In short, the less carbon dioxide you produce, the lower your carbon footprint - and the better you’ll do when it comes to improving the health of the planet! 

You might be concerned that solar lights aren’t going to be bright enough to light up your balcony, patio, or garden, but the reality is that solar energy products become more popular, their quality increases, too. With every day that passes, new advancements are being made in solar energy technologies.

The real beauty of solar lights? They offer an unlimited source of power. As long as the lights are placed where they can come into direct contact with the sun, you’ll enjoy years of performance without having to resupply your lights with any kind of resource. The sun will take care of everything for you!

Pay Attention Not to Wattage, but to Lumens

One mistake that many people make when researching solar lights is comparing wattage between LED units and their fluorescent and incandescent counterparts. Here’s to head al - wattage is a function of power consumption, not one of brightness. The best gage for outdoor lighting is in lumens or in candle feet instead, which measures how bright a light is when it is illuminated. 

On average, one single LED light will emit the equivalent of a two-watt bulb. By comparison, a 1-- watt incandescent bulb will produce roughly 1,700 lumens or 17 lumens per watt, while LED lights give off up to 90 lumens per watt. LED lights, therefore, are about five times more efficient in how they consume energy.

Not only that but LED lights are known for being more focused and having a unique dispersion angle. Incandescent lights glow all around. Therefore, using LED lights is a great way to impart a softer, more subdued effect when you’re adding decorative lighting or accents to your patio or home.

You can use outdoor solar lighting systems just about anywhere, but you’ll want to consider variables that are specific to your geography, climate, and site, too. A solar light system will work well only if you make sure the solar cells receive their recommended hours of sunlight each day. 

Nightly “run time” listings are typically based on sunlight conditions. If you place your solar light in a location that receives less sunlight than the cells need, you’ll find that the lights operate for fewer hours every night than you anticipated. 

This can also vary depending on how clear the sky is during a certain day - for example, solar lights can run at a 30 to 50% reduction in capacity if they are run during the winter months. The exception to this, of course, is if you choose lights that are designed for winter use. 

Keep in mind that other features can get in the way of the sun’s path to your solar lights, too, including builds and trees. Even bird droppings can play a role! Do your best to keep your lights in a clear path (and cleaned off). A poorly charged battery won’t last as long as one that remains fully charged at all times.

Another area of confusion for first-time solar light purchasers is in the difference between candela and lumens. Both light bulbs and LEDs sold primarily for illumination tend to display their ratings in lumens, while indicator LEDs are rated in candelas. The difference is simple. Lumens measure light output at its source, while candelas, on the other hand, measure the amount of light that falls on a surface.

Therefore, as the area that is receiving light increases, the number of candelas actually decreases - even though the lumens will remain constant.  

Plan Your Next Outdoor Home Project With Solar Lighting

Planning a home improvement project - or simply want to upgrade your exterior lighting? If so, solar lighting is truly the way to go. Not only is it less expensive than other alternatives, but it’s also much less taxing on the environment, too. Although solar lighting used to be second-rate as compared to regular lighting, it is now a far superior alternative. 

Do your homework, do your research  - and choose solar. With a myriad of benefits and very few disadvantages, there’s no reason not to give it a try. What do you have to lose? After all, it’s both the eco- and wallet-friendly way to go.

Shana Thompson is a full time professional writer and editor. Shana has worked extensively in the fields of content marketing, on-page and off-page SEO (guest posts, backlink acquisition), and creative writing. As an experienced pro content writer, Shana has worked on several magazines, publishing companies and marketing agencies. Many recent projects have included everything from nutrition and health services, where a lot of research and citations were needed, to writing about health, sustainable, eco-friendly products.

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