We live in a day and age where going green seems to be the new mantra for everything. Whether it is recycling paper to driving hybrid cars, the emphasis is on saving as much energy as possible. Solar lights are one such accessory that really takes this whole going green mantra to new heights. After all, what better way to harness energy is there when it comes to the infinite power of the sun? We all know about small appliances such as calculators that have been using light energy or solar energy to power the appliance. There are solar powered water heaters and of course solar powered lights.
There is an old joke that goes something like this. A scientist tells another that he plans to take his space ship and go visit the sun. The other scientist says “how can you do that? The sun will burn you up”. The first scientist quickly replies and says” Oh that’s no problem; we will go there when it is night time on the sun!!” Similarly the question that many people ask when they hear about solar lights the first time is, of what use are they at day time? We need lights at night. The answer is a very simple one, solar powered light will have small batteries that get charged by solar power conversion during the day.
There is something called a charge controller that comes in between the battery and the solar panels. It is this charge controller that re-charges a battery after being exposed to sunlight. Needless to say this invention has really helped spruce up out door lighting in a big way. Once you pay for the light, there is no extra cost involved in running them. At night when the sun goes down there is a sensor on the light which will turn the lights on and then off when the sun rises again. The main disadvantage with these lights is that battery power is still limited; therefore the power of the light is still relatively dim compared to regular electric lights.
The good news is that, battery technology is improving and as time goes by the quality of the light are improving. Solar powered driveway and motion lights are quite popular. Driveway lights can be pressed into the ground to illuminate the border line of the driveway. They may not be very bright but help get the job done. Solar motion lights have come a long way in design and style. They will turn on automatically when motion is detected and give off respectable amount of lighting. There are also solar garden lights which you can use to beautify your home’s backyard by adding a luminescent glow. These garden lights are perfect because they have no wiring so you can install them anywhere you like as long as it receives adequate sunlight.
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Topics: Green Living