A more environmentally-friendly solution to illuminating the evening and night-time garden.
Garden lighting has become increasingly popular, illuminating pathways and entrances, and highlighting features. The development of solar lighting has made this easier: they are simple to install, require no wiring and minimal maintenance. They can be used far from electrical points, as they harness sunlight with solar photovoltaic (PV) panels. PV panels convert sunlight to electricity, charging the lights’ batteries (often replaceable AA batteries). Most garden solar lights come on automatically as light levels drop below a trigger point at dusk, although some have switches or motion sensors.
Mechanics and sustainability
Most models of solar lighting use light emitting diodes (LEDs), as these are long-lasting, bright and energy efficient. Fluorescent bulbs are brighter but these require more energy, and therefore more PV panels. These will probably be replaced with new ‘super-bright’ LED models.
Taking a sustainable view, there are concerns about the energy used in manufacturing solar lighting, compared with the energy they harness over their life span, but clearly they have a smaller carbon footprint than lights powered by mains electricity. It is hoped that technological advances will continue to improve the energy efficiency of solar lights.
Developments in solar panels over the last decade mean many models do not require direct sun and will work even on cloudy days, although light output is reduced during prolonged dull weather. When purchasing, buy the best quality solar light that you can, as these should have the longest lifespan and be the most effective at harvesting sunlight.
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