Frequently Asked Questions about Solar Lights
How do solar lights store energy and how do they work?
Solar lighting is the safest and easiest kind of outdoor lighting to install. Each light fixture contains a scientifically designed solar collector panel that converts sunlight into electrical energy. This energy is stored in highly efficient rechargeable batteries, used to light the fixture at night.
What is the difference between solar lights and incandescent or fluorescent lights?
Solar lights are equipped with LED's. An LED is a semiconductor device that emits visible light when conducting current. Therefore, solar lamps give off a different type of light than incandescent and fluorescent lights. A common mistake is to compare wattage between LED units and their incandescent and fluorescent cousins - wattage is a function of power consumption, not brightness.
The proper measuring stick for outdoor lighting comparisons is lumens or candle feet, which measures the brightness of the light. A typical LED will give off the equivalent of a 2 watt bulb. However, LED unit is more intense and has a different angle of dispersion, while incandescent light just glows all around.
Another advantage of buying solar lights is that LED bulbs will never burn out during the lifetime of the product. Low voltage incandescent and fluorescent systems need bulb replacements often and add cost and inconvenience to the product.
How long do solar lights stay on?
The length of time that the lights stay on is dependent on the amount of sunlight received during the day. Most solar lights stay lit for up to 10 or more hours with fully charged batteries.
What advantages do solar lights offer?
Solar lights require no wiring and are very easy to install. And because they run on the sun's energy, they cost nothing to operate. That means they also are environmentally friendly, and helps us conserve our fast-depleting regular energy resources.
Are solar lights as bright as regular lights?
Solar lights are usually not as bright as other forms of outdoor landscape lighting. Thus, instead of harsh, glaring light, you'll have the benefit of softer, more subtle accent lighting that makes your outdoors look stunning in the dark.
What sort of maintenance will I need to be concerned with?
There is virtually no maintenance required except for occasional cleaning of the panel surface to keep it free of dust and dirt, regular battery checks, and replacing the batteries when required.
How often do the batteries need replacing?
The batteries are designed to withstand a minimum of 1000 deep discharges which is at least 1000 nights of light. They are readily available and easy to replace, rechargeable batteries.
How often will I need to replace the L.E.D. in my solar fixture?
The LED's themselves are not replaceable. However, their life expectancy typically exceeds 25 years, based on running 10 hours every night. Thus, LED bulbs will never burn out during the lifetime of the product.
How to install solar lights?
Our products are very easy to install. Usually it is just a matter of opening the box and placing the fixture in the garden or chosen location. No skills and tools are required Operating instructions come with every product. Often a fixture is fully charged and ready for use straight out of the box. However sometimes the batteries may be discharged or low and 1 or 2 days of full sunshine is necessary before normal use.
Will it lights up immediately?
Usually, our lights work straight out of the box. However, if the batteries are discharged or low, upon receipt, we recommend that the light is left to fully charge for up to 1-2 days before first use. If the product has an on/off switch then it's best to leave it in the 'off' position until it has had its first initial charge. After this time the switch may be left on and the light will operate without further attention.
How does the light turns on?
All our solar lights turn on automatically at dusk and operate throughout the hours of darkness. Each light has a small photocell device built-in to the fixture. This component knows when the light level is low and switches the light on. Make sure there are no other strong light sources near by that can affect the photocell because if it is not dark enough the fixture may not automatically switch on.
How long will it last?
This depends on many factors. Your state or country, season and weather conditions all affect solar powered products. Usually for most months throughout the year there is sufficient sunlight to recharge the batteries daily. Just daylight conditions have some charging effect. The brighter and sunnier the weather the more charge is applied to the batteries and the brighter and longer the light will illuminate for. Many of our lights are capable of operating for up to 8 hours or more. Our 'Superior Collections' and our recessed deck & dock lights will normally operate from dusk to dawn every day even after several days of poor weather or little or no sunshine, subject to location and seasons.
How bright are the lights?
As solar outdoor lighting uses batteries as the sole power source and the bulbs are usually one or more LED's there is a combination of trying to achieve a light output that is as bright as possible but to last as long as possible (from one charge). Solar lighting has become much more reliable and efficient over the years. This type of product is usually used for accent or decorative lighting with a typical light output between 1 to 3 watts. As solar lights generally do not produce as much light as an electrically powered light, better effects are noticed when located in no ambient light conditions. If you place a solar light in a partially illuminated or well lit area then the effect would not be so good.
Do the batteries & bulbs have to be changed?
Most of the products we sell use regular AA type rechargeable batteries. These are inexpensive, commonly found and easily purchased from any good battery retailer. We recommend that they are replaced every 1-3 years or as required. Replacement is quite easy to do and instructions provided give more information on this procedure
Almost all of the solar lights we offer use LED's as the light source. An LED is a Light Emitting Diode. It's not really a light bulb but an electrical component that emits light. These are proven to be highly reliable components, give off almost no heat and have a life expectancy of up to 20 years. Being an electrical component, LED's are soldered into place onto a circuit board or module, as replacement is not normally required. The solar security floodlight that we sell has a JC/G4 type halogen bulb that can be easily replaced and you can purchase these from us, when required.
How does a white colored LED visually appear when illuminated?
Solar lights fitted with white colored LED's are the most popular these days. With many solar accent lights the LED, when illuminating at nighttime, can appear to have a very slight blue tint. This is perfectly normal and is often more noticeable when other electrically operated lights are on nearby. Then, by comparison, the LED may appear white but with a very slight blue tint. Electrically operated light bulbs will often burn with a slight yellow or orange color which everyone takes for granted, as does a regular car headlamp bulb. An LED often illuminates at the other end of the white color spectrum and to some people it lights with a slight blue tint just like the very latest Xenon car headlamp bulbs and often appears more noticeable when you look directly at the fixture rather than at the light being emitted. The light output is really still white
Can other lights nearby affect solar light fixtures?
Sometimes a strong, nearby light source can prevent a solar light from switching on because it is still detecting what it thinks is daylight. To overcome this problem, if your fixture has a visible photocell, just apply a very small patch or black adhesive tape over part (typically about half) of the photocell (a 1/4" round panel found on the top of most fixtures).
