Solar lighting: How to choose the right one? (All FAQs Answered)

Solar lighting is one of the most efficient breakthroughs in technology. It comes with numerous benefits over conventional lighting methods. The new and advanced solar light system that includes the solar battery, panels, etc., brings a lot of advantages to the table when it comes to solar lights for the home, garden, or outdoors. Earlier, we only used solar illumination outdoors. But now, you can have solar light systems for your home & indoor gardens with the right application information. It can be installed in a variety of areas. The amazing environmental benefits enhance the green credentials of the owners.

This article covers the following information regarding solar lighting for the home, garden, and outdoor:

What is solar lighting?

In simple words, these lights use solar energy obtained from the sun to generate electricity and power light fixtures. It is one of the most economical and efficient forms of electricity. This is why more and more people are drawn to the use of these lights.

Working mechanism

Image Source: ADN Solar Streetlight

This lighting works on the simple principle of collecting the sun’s energy from the sun and converting it into light.

This process needs the photovoltaic effect used in the solar panel. The solar panel collects the solar energy all day long and stores it in gel-cell solar batteries that are rechargeable.

This way, you get solar light for your home throughout the day and night.

Advantages

You can get numerous reasons for choosing these lights over our traditional lights. Some key benefits of solar light for homes and other facilities are:

Eco-friendliness

We can’t press upon it enough that these light systems come with excellent environmental benefits. The solar panels require absolutely no power from the grid. The solar batteries feed on the sunlight all day and illuminate the area effectively at night.

Better LEED rating

The LEED certification becomes all the more important for commercial buildings. This rating determines whether the building is a green building with cost-effective environmental efficiency or not.

The outdoor light systems help increase your LEED rating.

Low maintenance cost

The outdoor light systems for homes require very little maintenance. Although the upfront cost or the installation cost is relatively higher, these lights pay for themselves well over time.

They last for a long time and do not require a lot of services.

Cost-effective electricity

With outdoor light systems for the home, you literally have to pay zero electricity bills.

Disadvantages

• It does not work in places with very weak sunlight.
• You need to have rechargeable solar batteries. Otherwise, the light won’t work at night.
• The installation cost is quite high.

Application areas for solar lighting systems

You can install solar light systems in different areas of commercial and residential buildings. The amazing benefits of this lighting make it an excellent new and retrofit lighting solution.

These lights can be installed in different areas:

• Outdoor lighting
• Indoor lighting

Outdoor solar lighting

Outdoor lighting has gained immense popularity lately. The solar LED uses solar energy, which is available in abundance in open areas. Therefore, solar lamps, solar bulbs, and solar poles can last up to 10-12 hours after being fully charged.

Solar lighting for the garden

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The lights for the garden are in vogue nowadays. It is an effective way to light up the garden without spending a lot of money on electricity bills.

Some common lights for the garden are:

Solar string lights

Image Source: Solar Reviews

You can wrap this outdoor light for the garden around trees and illuminate your outdoors. These wrapable lights for the garden are cost-effective and decorative.

Solar fence lights

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The solar-powered fence lights are excellent outdoor lights for the garden. They create a beautiful atmosphere near the fenced area.

Solar walkway lights

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The outdoor walkway lights or pathway lights illuminate the walkway. With these lights, you get the perfect outdoor ambience. Additionally, they also make the walkway safe and bright.

Solar lawn lights

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The lawn lighting for outdoors is mostly LED lights in different shapes. You can install ball lights, mushroom lights, flower lights, or even star-shaped lawn lights for home and commercial properties.

Other types of outdoor lights are:

Solar spotlights

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The spotlights are LED lights for homes and other buildings. These outdoor lightings can be placed at every focal point to illuminate it.

Solar step lights

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The sleek LED lighting for steps makes the ideal for the home. They are a popular choice among residential and commercial settings.

This outdoor illumination for steps comes with built-in solar panels.

Solar floodlights

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The flood lights offer bright illumination for all outdoor areas. They are ideal for driveways, parking areas, gardens, and streets.

Solar porch lights

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The solar porch lights come in unique shapes and designs. These reliable and cost-effective porch lights look aesthetic and can be wall-mounted easily. They are waterproof, bright solar LED lights.

Solar street lighting poles

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The solar lighting poles for streets are independent of the utility grid. Thus, they are wireless and energy-efficient. These solar lighting poles eliminate carbon footprints.

Solar lighting for parking

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LED solar lights are used in the parking lots of residential and commercial buildings. They offer sustainable and eco-friendly lighting. A self-contained solar parking area has its own solar panel system.

Indoor solar lighting

Just like outdoor solar lights, indoor solar light systems have their own unique features, information guidelines, and types as well. The indoor solar lights are basically LED solar lights connected to small solar panels and an integrated battery.

The solar panel is installed next to the window to charge the solar battery. Once the battery gets charged, it can illuminate the space for a long time.

Let us go through some of the common indoor solar lights for homes and commercial buildings.

Solar lighting lamps

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Solar lamps offer decent brightness and save a lot of money. Most of them are LED solar lighting lamps that illuminate the dark spaces of the room.

Along with wall lights, these LED lighting lamps can also be used as table lamps.

Solar sheds light

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The shed lights are motion-sensing lights that automatically turn on when someone enters the shed. Just 10 hours of sunlight can fully charge these shed lights.

Solar tube lights

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The tube lights are small tubular lights that run on the sun’s light. The mechanism of these tube lights needs a dome to be fixed on the roof that harnesses sunlight. This light illuminates the indoors through a tube-like structure.

Solar lighting lanterns

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This modern pendant light needs the sun’s energy to illuminate the space. The beautiful design of these lighting lanterns goes well with every interior.

A lithium-built-in solar battery recharges the lantern so that it can be used at night and on days of weak sunlight as well.

Solar light manufacturers in India

The following are some top manufacturers of solar lights in India:

• Inter-solar
• Wipro
• Surya
• Havells
• Crompton
• Bajaj
• Philips
• Hardoll
• Starline
• Britta

Outdoor solar lighting price (brand-wise information)

Solar lighting recommendations (Buy Here)

Wipro Landscape luminaires Wall Light

Philips UrbanSpark Gen 3 Solar Light for Garden

Hardoll Solar Lights for Home

Hykon India Gardenia Garden Solar Lights

Solar European Pathway Light

This lighting has several benefits over traditional lighting. It is more cost-efficient, durable, long-lasting, and eco-friendly. However, it has its own set of limitations too. It becomes tricky to manage with solar solutions alone in bad weather.

It is important to have the correct battery as well as the solar panels and batteries to determine the productivity of the solar solutions. The indoor and outdoor lightings come in a wide range of options such as floor lights, fence lights, LED lights, lamps, lanterns, and much more. Although the working of the solar light systems is quite simple, it needs proper installation for maximum efficiency. Installing solar panels in dark areas won’t offer the best results. In addition to that, the weather conditions pose a challenge too. However, these challenges can be overcome with a few measures, such as using the lights periodically in bad weather, cleaning the panels after rainfall, etc.

With this detailed information on solar lighting, you will be well placed to make a correct decision regarding choosing the best for your use.

FAQs

How are solar lights better than conventional lights?

Solar lighting has a lower usage cost and is independent of the power grid. Additionally, it is renewable and eco-friendly. On the other hand, conventional lighting has a higher cost and depends on the power grid.  Also, it is non-renewable. Moreover, the lifespan of solar lights is 10 times longer than that of conventional lights.

How does solar lighting work?

The outdoor light system has three main parts. These are a solar panel, an LED bulb, and a solar battery. The solar panel converts solar energy into electricity through its photovoltaic cells or solar cells. This energy gets stored in solar batteries. The lighting LED bulb uses this electricity and illuminates the outdoor and indoor spaces at night. The additional EPS controller reduces the voltage and regulates the current. Therefore, the temperature of the battery gets reduced. This saves the battery from gassing & charging simultaneously. Thus, no damage is caused to it.

What is some important information to consider before installing solar lights?

The solar illumination system works on the quality of the solar cells and the size of the LED solar bulbs. Therefore, if your space is huge, consider choosing higher-quality solar panels and larger LED. Moreover, if you want incandescent bulbs, go for those with tinted covers. Brighter lighting needs more power. Therefore, go for these lights with a low and high setting to meter power usage. This way, you can manage the brightness to maximise the lighting’s efficiency. Lastly, always hire a licensed lighting electrician or installer if you need light systems for a large area.

What should we keep in mind before buying indoor solar lights for homes and commercial buildings?

You can get an excellent indoor solar lighting experience if you keep a few important information in mind. These are – the active time of the light, which can range between 12-15 hours or more, lumen output, typically ranging from 1-10 Lumens, and colour temperature, as the LED lights offer a clear whitish-blue colour tone.

What should we keep in mind before buying outdoor solar lights for homes and commercial buildings?

 You should keep some necessary information in mind before buying outdoor solar lights for homes and commercial buildings. These are functionality, LED lights offer great functionality and efficiency, and location, as some lights may need a solar panel to be fixed. Moreover, always look for lights with long-lasting batteries if you live in a place that receives less sunlight.

Which solar batteries are good for outdoor and indoor use?

Solar lighting uses rechargeable batteries to store energy from sunlight during the day and power LED lamps at night. For both indoor and outdoor solar lights, lithium-ion batteries are generally the best choice as they are efficient, long-lasting, and low-maintenance. Rechargeable AA batteries are also commonly used in small outdoor fixtures like garden and pathway lights.

How long does a solar lighting system last?

A solar lighting system typically lasts 5 to 10 years, depending on the quality of components and maintenance. The solar panels can last up to 20 years, while the rechargeable batteries usually need replacement every 2 to 5 years. Regular cleaning, proper installation, and using high-quality batteries can help extend the overall lifespan of the system.

Are solar lighting systems waterproof?

Yes, most solar lights are waterproof and designed to withstand rain, moisture, and varying weather conditions, especially outdoor models. However, the waterproof rating differs between products. While garden, pathway, and street solar lights are usually weather-resistant, it’s important to check the IP rating to ensure they are suitable for heavy rain or extreme outdoor conditions.

Does solar lighting work through glass?

As long as the sunlight passes through the glass, the light generated from the sun can definitely work through it. However, the efficiency is reduced as some of the light is reflected. Therefore, if you want to install these lights behind a window, ensure that your window remains in the direction of the sun.

How do solar lights work in rainy weather? 

Outdoor lighting works just fine in bad weather. On cloudy days, the sunlight is less. But it can still charge your solar panel to the 1/2th- 1/3rd of their maximum charge. However, if the weather remains bad for a long time, it is advisable to turn off the lights periodically to avoid long-term damage.

Can I integrate these solar lights with smart home systems?

Yes, many modern solar lights can be integrated with smart home systems. Some models come with Wi-Fi or Bluetooth compatibility, allowing you to control brightness, schedules, and motion sensors through apps or voice assistants like Alexa, Google Home, or Siri. However, you should always ensure that the solar lights you choose support smart integration features before buying.

*The featured image used in this article is from pond5.com