Three Ways That Solar Lighting Will Save You Money

iStock 000003424096XSmallYou have an outdoor project that is simply running over budget.  You don’t want to take out key features of your design, but the prices of all these things for outdoor renovation is just getting too costly.  One easy way to save money on your outdoor project is to use solar powered lighting instead of the conventional bulb and wire lighting.  Solar powered lighting will save you money in three ways: no maintenance, no electrician fees, and no dependence on power companies.

There is virtually no maintenance for solar powered lights.  The LED (Light Emitting Diode) bulbs last over thirty times longer than filament light bulbs.  They are smaller, too, and encased by plastic, so are less likely to get broken by a stray baseball or clumsy child.  Except for the wonderful glow they omit, you would easily forget about your solar powered lights because they are so wonderfully maintenance-free.

No one likes calling out the electrician to install the latest do it yourself project that ended up needing an expert after all.  But solar powered lights are not like that all.  You take them out of the box, insert them into the ground or in your decorations and wait for the solar lights to do their own work.  It really is that easy.  Because their wires are self-contained, there is no need for a costly electrician to run or add wires.

Finally, the solar powered lights themselves save you money.  Eventually even they will pay for themselves.  Energy from the sun is free, and the operation of the solar powered lights is to harness that natural energy and turn it into light when you want it.  After the initial expense of buying the solar powered lights, these lights really will do everything they can to give you back your money, all in a delightful glow that surrounds your backyard.

So if you need to make your backyard design a little more inexpensive, consider solar powered lighting.  It will be the smart financial decision that will reward you for years to come.

Westinghouse Solar Lights Innovative and Durable

4578622036 a9d30be856When you’re searching for a company that produces solar lights, you want one that on the one hand has been in the lighting business for a long time and is known for quality, but on the other hand is innovative in the solar lighting field.  Westinghouse is just such a company.  With Westinghouse solar lights, you can be assured that you are getting top quality and state of the art solar lighting.

The Westinghouse company has been around for almost 140 years.  They pride themselves on their lighting technology, both in the 1880s and now.  When the concept of solar lighting powered by photovoltaic cells first became a hot idea, Westinghouse was one of the first to develop, market, and put it on the shelves for consumers.  Even now they are developing solar lighting with better batteries, stronger photovoltaic cells, and clearer plastic coverings, all to make the solar lighting you buy better for your backyard and lifestyle.

In addition, all of the Westinghouse solar lights are built to last.  They are durable designs that won’t be broken by a twig that snaps.  Since Westinghouse knows that their solar lights will become an integral part of your backyard design, they have designed all their solar lighting products to be weather proof.

Finally, Westinghouse knows hat everyone is different and designs their lighting accordingly.  Westinghouse solar lighting comes in a wide variety of fixture choices, designs, metals, and colors.  They also offer a range of outputs of light, so you can create ambiance with some small solar lights or really shed light on an area.  For any solar lighting need, Westinghouse probably has you covered.

So if you’re in the market for solar lighting, consider taking a look at products made by Westinghouse.  It’s a company that has innovation, durability, and variety.

How Solar Lights Work (And How That Can Work For You)

3566010977 e260894acd e1305599598334Ever wondered how solar powered lights work?  Think they just work like glow sticks that will run out half way through the night and leave your backyard in the dark?  Solar powered lights are a brilliant piece of engineering that, once you understand, will give you confidence in making them a part of your backyard, or even inside your home.

The heart of how solar powered lights work is found in the photovoltaic cell.  This is the chip that transforms solar energy to a current of electricity.  That current is carried over a wire into a battery located somewhere in the solar powered light.  The quality of the photovoltaic cell and the clarity of the plastic which covers the cell determines how efficiently the solar powered light converts sunlight into stored energy.

The energy is stored in the light’s rechargeable batteries.  These batteries are a slightly different sort from the disposable batteries you buy in stores.  They are known as NiMH batteries instead of the disposable NiCAD batteries which are more typical and do not react well to being discharged and charged repeatedly.  Unlike NiCAD batteries, NiMH batteries are safe to dispose of and pose no harm to the environment.

When the solar powered light is turned on, the NiMH battery releases energy through a wire to the LED lights.  These are small lights without a filament that require very little energy to light up and have a very long usage lifespan.  Typically LEDs will last over thirty times as long as conventional filament light bulbs.

As you can see, the components of solar powered lights are designed to run on their own be maintenance free for much longer than their light bulb and wire alternatives.  As long as the solar powered light gets adequate lighting to renew its rechargeable batteries, the solar powered light will be a long lasting addition to your property.

Solar Lamp Posts: Light Up Your Yard

iStock 000001721148XSmallYou look at your yard and find that it’s just too dark at night.  Or perhaps your neighborhood is not well lit and you have trouble finding your driveway at night.  You want to fix these problems, but it seems like such a big project to put in the lighting yourself.  But if you would consider a solar lamp post or two, you would find that this could be a simple and affordable do it yourself project that solves all your dimly lit yard woes.

Setting up a solar lamp post is a lot easier than you would think.  Once you buy it, you need to anchor the post itself and, if it is separate, install the solar panel as well.  Because solar lighting doesn’t have any wires, there’s no need for you to hire an electrician to attach wires to your house’s main power source.

It’s important, however, to place the solar lamp itself or the separate solar panels.  For proper functioning, the panels need at least four hours of sunlight each day.  If you want to place the lamp under a tree or near a bush, you will want to consider purchasing a lamp with separate solar panels so you can place them in the ideal spot.  Or if you just want added versatility and options for placement of your solar lamp, separate solar panels might be the way to go.

You also need to decide how bright you want your lamp to be.  There are many designs of solar lamp posts that will vary the overall brightness.  The bulbs used for solar lighting are called LEDs or light emitting diodes.  They are quite bright and so you don’t need very many of them to have a properly bright lamp post.  Typical solar lamp posts range from 6-12 LEDs per lantern.  In addition, some lamp posts have multiple lanterns branching off from the central post.

You’ll want to keep all these options in mind when you go about selecting the ideal solar lamp post for your particular needs.  But as you can see, you really don’t have to tolerate any more that dark yard of yours.  With solar powered lamp posts, there is truly an easy and affordable solution.

Solar Lighting for Your Shed

iStock 000016361982XSmallAre you tired of navigating through your shed with nothing more than a flashlight or the light from your cell phone?  You know you’ve had enough, and it’s time to put in some lighting, but you just don’t want to spend the money on hiring an electrician to put in a simple light bulb and a pull chain or, for an extra arm or leg, a light with a switch on the wall of your shed.  It seems like such an expense just so you can ditch the flashlight, but you have a better option.  Instead of conventional lighting, you can put in solar powered lights in your shed, and you won’t need an electrician or a higher electric bill to solve your problem.

Solar powered lighting is really ideal for this project.  Since there isn’t any wiring to be done, you can do the project yourself with a ladder or step stool and a screwdriver.  First you’ll need to purchase the lights.  Then you’ll need to mount the solar panel on the roof or a side of the shed that gets adequate light from the sun each day.  Finally, attach the light inside the shed.

And the best part of solar powered lighting is that once you install it, it’s virtually cost-free.  The sun will provide all the power you need, and you won’t have to replace the rechargeable batteries for years.  Instead, you can enjoy your nicely lit shed with peace of mind.  In addition, the lights used to make solar powered lighting are remarkably bright.  Rather than conventional filament bulbs, LEDs are used for the bulbs.  You’ll not complain of dark areas of your shed again after you install solar powered lights.

You don’t have to stumble through your shed again or worry about a breeze blowing the door shut and leaving you completely in the dark.  Solar powered lighting for your shed will change all that, if you’ll only make it your next do it yourself project.

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