Learning Stuff About ‘solar deck lights’


Solar Deck Lights – Moonrays 95021 Solar Powered Plastic Post Side Lamp Light, Bronze

This bronze plastic post side lamp is ideal for lighting up your deck. It is a Coleman Cable brand.

Since it is solar powered, you have the benefit of lighting without the increase in your electricity bill. (See Solar Patio Lights and Solar Yard Lights for more general information on outdoor solar lighting products).

This product comes with an AA rechargeable NiCd battery. It uses 2 white LED lights that produces a downlighting effect (ie. the lighting is concentrated downward). The item is durable, constructed with plastic, including the lens, but has a bronze finish and metal leaf decor. It is easy to install, as it does not require any wiring. It also comes with mounting screws.

Customers who have purchased this product are generally pleased. It sometimes comes as a surprise how small it is. The actual dimensions are 2 x 5 x 6.8 inches. Lighting provided is generally satisfactory both in terms of luminosity and endurance. Depending on the size of area you need to light up, you may need to purchase more than one. This product currently (see date of article below) sells at a little less than $10 (USD). It comes with a little tab to pull out, which will allow the batteries to charge. However, a small percentage of customers have reported that the tab was not visible. If this happens, it is not a big deal really, as you can simply open the battery pack and take it out. Make sure you allow the batteries to charge properly, otherwise you might observe a flickering of the light.

I saw a claim that said Home Depot carries a similar product for $1 more, that is supposed to be better as it has an additional battery, gives brighter lighting, and lasts longer. I was not able to identify which product this could be. If anyone has any idea what this could be in reference to, please post a comment with some details for the benefit of all.

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Solar Patio Lights -Your Learning Resource

Are solar patio lights worth buying or are they a waste of money as some say? Are they bright enough to light up your patio? How long do they last? Do they need to be placed in the sunlight to be effective? These questions regarding solar lights for the patio, and more will be addressed here.

How Solar Lights Work

Solar patio lights are essentially solar lights that are designed for the outdoors and more specifically for the patio. They are generally grouped together with solar lights for the deck, garden, steps and pathways.

On a basic level, solar lights work by converting sunlight into electricity which is used to power the light source, which in this case are Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs). Solar panels convert the light from the sun into energy that is stored in rechargeable batteries. At night, the battery is used to power the lights. The brightness of the lights will depend on the type and number of LEDs used. How long they will last will depend on the storage capacity of the batteries and how much they get to charge, which depend on the rate at which the solar panels can convert the sunlight, and of course, how much sunlight is actually impacting the panels during the day.

Benefits of Solar Patio Lights

Considering how solar lights in general work, we can see there are clear benefits to having solar patio lights. They will not contribute to your electricity bill. In fact, your bill stands to be reduced since most likely you would still have provided lighting for your patio or other outdoor areas like the garden. Solar lights derive energy in a clean way, so won’t impact negatively on the environment. Generally, solar lights for patios and gardens won’t be encumbered by the need for wires, which make them ideal for the outdoors, and for adding aesthetic value. Stainless steel solar garden lights can be quite attractive and classy.  In addition to these benefits, outdoor solar lights often come equipped to automatically switch on at night time and likewise switch off in the morning, so you need to not be concerned about remembering to turn on or off your lights.

There are of course several benefits to having patio or outdoor lights, whether solar or otherwise. There is the practicality of it, in that having outdoor lights will allow you to see what’s going on outside at night, which is good for security. They can be used to light up areas like garden paths or driveways and patio steps. Sometimes you may want to entertain guests out on the patio where lighting might be required. Then there is the aesthetic aspect of having patio or garden lights. As solar patio lights come in a variety of shapes, sizes, colors, with varying brightness, there is much that can be done to shape the decor and ambience of your patio and garden according to your own tastes.

Kinds of Solar Patio Lights

There are various kinds of solar lights available for your patio and garden. There are solar patio lamps designed in the fashion of the gas-light lamps of the old days. There are solar patio lamps or lanterns that flicker like candle light, such as the Faux Candle lanterns. Also, there are solar patio string lights, which can be used to decorate the patio and garden for festive occasions, like what is normally used at Christmas time. Some solar patio lights are just for the ambience, such as the soji solar lantern. Others are for more practical purposes, like the two piece Deluxe Europa Solar lights set, which are quite bright. Solar path lights are good to light up those dark paths. There are even solar kits with remote panels, so that you can have the light source in shaded areas while the solar panel is placed in a more efficient location. Solar umbrella lights are also available. These are good for lighting up your patio umbrella. Whatever your need is, you can be sure there are patio solar lights that will suffice nicely.

Costs of Patio Solar Lights

The cost of solar lights for the patio will vary according to the need you’re trying to fill. For the brighter and longer lasting lights, the price will be more expensive. Prices for solar patio and garden lights can range from $10 to a couple hundred bucks. Bear in mind that you won’t be paying for the electricity used to power these lights, so the added expense to having these lights may eventually pay for itself.

Is it worth the while to get Solar Patio Lights?

The answer to this question really depends on what your aim is. If you are looking for a practical solution to lighting up your outdoors, then obviously you wouldn’t want to get the dim patio solar lights that are really intended for aesthetics. You would want to check out what is available in the bright types of solar lights. Once you find something bright enough to satisfy your needs, then you will want to consider how long they will last. If they can last long enough for your purposes, then you will want to verify that the batteries can be charged fully on a regular day of sunlight. It would be to your advantage to also find out how well they charge during winter time. Chances are that you can find solar lights for your patio which can meet all these criteria. For there are different kinds of bright solar lights ideal for the outdoors like the patio, which can last 8 to 12 hours, and can charge to full capacity during a normal day of sunlight. Therefore, the next important consideration is the price. You will now need to decide whether the price you will pay is affordable, and whether it makes sense as an investment into reducing electricity costs. It is quite possible that depending on the cost, you might find it more practical to not go with solar patio lights.

If it is aesthetics and ambience you’re after, then solar patio lights are definitely recommended, since many are designed with this in mind, and they do not add to your electricity bill.

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