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 brings a lot of advantages to the table.
It can be installed in a variety of areas. The amazing environmental benefits enhance the green credentials of the owners.
Earlier, we only used solar lights for outdoors. But now, you can have solar light systems for your home.
This article covers the following information regarding solar lighting:
| 1. What is solar lighting? a. Working mechanism b. Advantages c. Disadvantages 2. Application areas for solar lighting systems a. Outdoor solar lighting b. Indoor solar lighting 3. Frequently asked questions 4. Solar light manufacturers in India Outdoor solar lighting price |
1. What is solar lighting?
In simple words, solar light is the light obtained from the energy of the sun.
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 solar lights.
| Read how solar power usage increased during the COVID-19 pandemic. |
a. Working mechanism
The working of solar light system
Image Source: adnsolarstreetlight
Solar lighting works on a simple principle of collecting solar energy from the sun and converting it into the 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 home all throughout the day and night.
b. Advantages
You can get numerous reasons for choosing solar lights over our traditional lights. Some key benefits of solar light for home and other facilities are:
1. Eco-friendliness
We can’t press upon it enough that solar 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.
2. 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 solar light systems help increase your LEED rating.
3. Low maintenance cost
The solar 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.
| Read this research to understand what solar light consultants are doing to reduce the cost of solar panels. |
4. Cost-effective electricity
With solar light systems for home, you literally have to pay zero electricity bill.
c. Disadvantages
- It does not work in places with very weak sunlight.
- You need to have rechargeable solar batteries. Else, the light won’t work at night.
- The installation cost is quite high.
2. Application areas for solar lighting systems
You can install solar light systems in different areas of commercial and residential buildings. The amazing benefits of solar lighting make them excellent new and retrofit lighting solutions.
Solar lights can be installed in different areas:
- Outdoor solar lighting
- Indoor solar lighting
a. Outdoor solar lighting
Outdoor solar lighting has gained immense popularity lately. The solar lighting LED uses solar energy which is available in abundance in open areas. Therefore, the solar lighting lamps, solar lighting bulbs, and solar lighting poles can last up to 10-12 hours after being fully charged.
Solar lighting for garden
Round LED solar lights for garden
Image Source: taccitygoods
The solar lights for 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 solar lights for garden are:
Solar string lights
Bulb shaped string solar lights
Image Source: Wallmart
You can wrap this outdoor solar light for garden around trees and illuminate you outdoors. These wrap-able solar lights for garden are cost-effective and decorative.
Solar fence lights
Vertically falling fence solar lights
Image Source: Fiverr
The solar-powered fence lights are excellent outdoor solar light for garden. They create a beautiful atmosphere near the fenced area.
Solar walkway lights
Square-shaped walkway solar lights
Image Source: Love Property
The outdoor solar 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
Tiny cylindrical lawn solar lights
Image Source: Armadadeals
The lawn solar lighting for outdoor are mostly LED solar lights in different shapes. You can install ball lights, mushroom lights, flower lights, or even star-shaped lawn solar light for home and commercial properties.
Other types of outdoor solar lights are:
Solar spotlights
Outdoor solar spotlights
Image Source: the solar centre
The solar spotlights are LED solar light for homes and other buildings. These outdoor solar lightings can be placed at every focal point to illuminate it.
Solar step lights
Centrally-aligned staircase solar lights
Image Source: Pinterest
The sleek solar lighting LED for steps makes ideal solar light for home. They are a popular choice among residential and commercial settings.
These outdoor solar lighting for steps come with built-in solar panels.
Solar floodlights
Outdoor floodlights
Image Source: Patio Best
The solar flood lights offer bright illumination for all outdoor areas. They are ideal for driveways, parking areas, gardens, and streets.
Solar porch lights
Vintage design solar lights for porch
Image Source: A Green origin
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 solar lights.
Solar lighting poles
Solar street lights
Image Source: Gama Sonic
The solar lighting poles for streets are independent of the utility grid. Thus, they are wireless and energy-efficient. These solar lighting poles eliminate the carbon footprints.
Solar lighting for parking
Parking area solar light poles for safety and lighting
Image Source: ORCA
LED solar lights are used in parking lots of residential and commercial buildings. They offer sustainable and eco-friendly lighting. A self-contained solar parking area light has its own solar panel system.
| Read how anti-solar panels generate solar electricity at night. |
b. Indoor solar lighting
Just like outdoor solar lights, the indoor solar light systems have their own unique features 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
A sleek white solar light lamp
Image Source: Stephen Karr
The solar lighting 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 solar lighting lamps can also be used as table lamps.
Solar shed light
Motion-sensored shed solar lights
Image Source: Clean Energy Summit
The solar shed lights are motion-sensing lights that automatically turn on when someone enters the shed.
Just 10 hours of sunlight can fully charge the solar shed lights.
Solar tube lights
LED Solar tube lights
Image Source: LED solar
The solar tube lights are small tubular lights. The mechanism of solar 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
Wall-mount solar LED lamps
Image Source: Expo Cafe Peru
This modern pendant light needs solar energy to illuminate the space. The beautiful design of these solar 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.
| Read more about ceiling lights here. |
3. Frequently Asked Questions
Even with the benefits and flexibility of solar lights, people are still apprehensive about installing solar light for homes and commercial buildings.
So, after extensive research, we have handpicked some of the most common concerns of the professionals and the general public regarding solar lights.
Q1. How are solar lightings better than conventional lights?
| Sr. No. | Solar lighting | Conventional lighting |
| 1. | Lower usage cost. | High usage cost. |
| 2. | Independent of the power grid. | Dependant on the power grid. |
| 3. | Renewable, eco-friendly energy source. | Non-renewable energy source. |
| 4. | The street solar lights are safe. | The wiring of the conventional street lights is risky. |
| 5. | The lifespan of solar street lights is 10 times that of conventional lights. | The lifespan is of around 5000 hours. |
Q2. How does solar lighting work?
Working mechanism of solar lighting
Image Source: EIProCus
The solar light system has three main parts:
- A solar panel
- An LED bulb
- A solar battery
The solar panel converts solar energy into electricity through its photovoltaic cells or solar cells. This light gets stored in solar batteries. The solar lighting LED bulb uses this electricity and illuminates the outdoor and indoor space at night.
The additional epsolar 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.
Q3. What are some important things to consider before installing solar lights?
- The solar light system works on the quality of the solar cells and the size of the LED solar light bulbs. Therefore, if your space is huge, consider choosing higher-quality solar panels and larger LED solar lights.
- If you want incandescent bulbs, go for solar lightings with tinted covers.
- Brighter lighting needs more power. Therefore, go for solar lights with a low and high setting to meter power usage. This way, you can manage the brightness to maximize the solar lighting’s efficiency.
- Always hire a licensed solar lighting electrician or installer if you need solar light systems for a large area.
Q4. What should we keep in mind before buying indoor solar light for homes and commercial buildings?
You can get an excellent indoor solar lighting experience if you keep the following things in mind:
- The active time of the solar light: The active time of the solar light can range from a couple of hours to 12 hours or even more. So, always check the battery’s longevity before installing it.
- Lumen output: The lumen output for sidewalks can range from 1-10 Lumens. Floodlights need 1500 Lumens or higher. A headlamp needs 150 Lumens or more.
- Colour temperature: The LED solar lights offer a clear whitish-blue colour tone. This gives the feel of daylight.
Q5. What should we keep in mind before buying outdoor solar light for homes and commercial buildings?
The best outdoor solar lights must have the following qualities:
- Functionality: You can install dimmer LED solar lights that offer great functionality and efficiency.
- Location: You can fit the solar lights on the ground, wall, or the tree. Outdoor solar lightings are versatile. Therefore, you can hang them at various spots. If your outdoor solar lighting has an in-built solar panel, you can fix it anywhere. However, you need to place an additional solar panel, you must choose the spot that witnesses the most direct sunlight.
- Climate: If you live in a place with bright sunlight, you don’t have to worry much. But if you live in a place that is prone to clouds and rain, you must choose a waterproof solar light system. Also, choose the most long-lasting solar battery.
Q6. Which solar batteries are good for outdoor and indoor use?
The solar batteries remain one of the most integral parts of the solar light system. They affect the durability, active time, safety, charging time, maintenance, and cost-effectiveness of the solar light.
Therefore, it becomes important to choose the right type of solar batteries.
There are three main types of solar batteries:
- Lead Acid solar battery: The most generic type of solar battery, also known as Sealed Maintenance Free battery doesn’t need periodic topping-up of water. We use these batteries with inverters at home as well.
- Lithium-Ion solar battery: The Li-on solar battery has a small size, low price, and a long lifespan. They can be charged with a 3.7 Volt solar panel. However, these solar batteries can explode in extreme weather.
- Lithium-Ion Phosphate solar battery: This solar battery is the perfect battery for all solar light systems. They are extremely safe and can last for more than 12 years.
Q7. How long does a solar lighting system last?
With proper care and nominal maintenance, the solar light can last for at least 10 years.
Q8. Are solar lighting systems waterproof?
Most solar light systems are water-resistant. They can withstand rain. However, they cannot withstand immersion in water.
Q9. Does solar lighting work through glass?
As long as the sunlight passes through the glass, solar lighting can definitely work through it. However, the efficiency is reduced as some of the light is reflected back.
Therefore, if you want to install solar lights behind a window, ensure that your window remains in the direction of the sun.
| The future is here with transparent solar panels that can conveniently replace the traditional windows. |
Q10. How do solar lights work in rainy weather?
Outdoor solar 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 solar lights periodically to avoid long-term damage.
| Read how the self-cleaning solar panels can avoid the problem of dust and dirt accumulation. |
4. Solar light manufacturers in India
Now that you have cleared all the doubts and queries related to solar lights, let’s find out the top solar light manufacturers and solar lighting prices in India:
- Inter-solar
- Wipro
- Surya
- Havells
- Crompton
- Bajaj
- Philips
- Hardoll
- Starline
- Britta
Outdoor solar lighting price
| Sr. No. | Outdoor solar light manufacturer and product | Solar lighting price |
| 1. | Hardoll garden solar lights | Rs. 1761/ piece |
| 2. | Kiron Britta Solar Ray Garden Path Lights | Rs. 9260/ piece |
| 3. | Starline Solar LED light for outdoor | Rs. 3100/ piece |
| 4. | Wipro solar LED street light | Rs. 25000/ piece |
| 5. | Surya street light | Rs. 7400/ piece |
| 6. | Havells solar street light | Rs. 13800/ piece |
| 7. | Crompton solar LED garden light | Rs. 42000/ piece |
| 8. | Bajaj solar street light | Rs. 20000/ piece |
| 9. | Philips- signify solar street light | Rs. 13500/ piece |
Conclusion
Solar lighting has several benefits over traditional lightings. 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 lights alone in bad weather.
It is important to have the correct battery for the solar light system as well as the solar panels and batteries determine the productivity of the solar light system.
So, it is important to understand the important solar lighting information carefully.
The indoor and outdoor solar lightings come in a wide range of options such as floor lights, fence lights, LED solar lights, solar lamps, solar 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 solar 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 solar lights for your use.
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