Solar Lighting Tips

Place lighting along pathways or around patios for decorative flair and functional convenience, but keep the fixtures away from water sources – sprinklers and drip irrigation.

When placing solar lights, make sure the fixture or collector in direct sunlight, and install them away from trees with overhanging branches.  Place them out of the shadow of buildings or other structures.

To make sure that the collector is working at peak capacity, keep it clean and remember to change batteries each year. 

For best results, keep the battery compartment away from both puddles and very wet areas.  Make sure the fixture is elevated and not placed directly on the ground.

Solar lighting turns sunlight into direct energy. When light hits a solar collector, the energy is turned into electrical current. A power supply, such as rechargeable batteries, receives the current and turns on the lamp, which is a light emitting diode (LED). 

Solar Lighting only works outside with natural light

Each Solar fixture is comprised of five components:

• Solar Collector
• Circuit Board, or Control Board
• Power Supply - batteries
• Light Source - LED
• Photo Resistor, or Photo Cell Switching Device
  

Solar lighting fixtures use LEDs because they are a most efficent form of emitting light. Unlike conventional, filament based lamps, LEDs do not get hot and they last twenty times longer. Moreover, current draw is so low that only a small charge is needed to power it.

Solar fixtures, while not as powerful those using traditional lighting, are used primary as task or accent lights.

When placed in direct sunlight, the batteries will charge in 4-5 hours.

Every solar fixture has a photo sensor which allows it to turn off and on automatically. However, each one also has an on/off switch for manual operation.

For optimum results, charge the battery for 24 to 48 hours.