The Limiting Factors in Solar Lights

Posted by John Wells on 9:27 pm. Filed under Light Fixtures, Photo Gallery Category. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. Both comments and pings are currently closed.

As our society becomes more conscious about environmentally friendly products, solar lights are poised to take over the outdoor lighting arena. Some of the benefits are obvious including the reduction in energy consumption by utilizing a source of renewable energy and the financial impact that has on your electricity bill. Still there are some limitations to solar lights that need to be worked out with future advancement in technology.

Some of the problems in solar powered lights arise from various components of the product. Most pressing concerns that are keeping these lights from becoming even more popular include the questionable brightness of the lamps and amount of sunlight exposure required for a reliable charge. To address these concerns we have to consider the lamp, the photovoltaic cells and the capacity of the battery.

The photovoltaic cells are the part that actually captures the sunlight and converts it into an electric charge to be stored by the battery. The efficiency of these cells have improved dramatically in many solar powered garden lights but there is still some concern over how much direct light is required to fully charge a battery. This is one area where how the solar lights are utilized can make or break the deal.

Then there is concern about the brightness of the lamps. For less intensive demands such as accent lighting, solar lights provide sufficient battery capacity to keep a lamp lit for almost two nights with a single days’ charge. But brighter lights will require too much battery use which is why LED bulbs have become such a savior. Still not as bright as the incandescent bulb, in many uses it suffices. There are solar spot lights that offer comparable brightness as a 40 watt incandescent bulb. That is not bad at all for solar technology. Consider what your needs are and you will probably find a product that will work.

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