| Solar lights are becoming extremely popular with those | | | | The lights are controlled or switched on and off by use |
| who are looking for a simpler way of installing low | | | | of a switch, this enables the power to be built up during |
| voltage garden lights and outside lighting. There are a | | | | the daytime with limited power drain. Although some |
| number of advantages of using solar energy to power | | | | products will allow the light to be manually switched on |
| your lighting. To help you decide on which lighting | | | | or off, some form of automatic switch is useful. One |
| product you are going to choose, it could be helpful to | | | | method of doing this is to use a photo resistor in the |
| understand how they work. | | | | switch. The way that the photo resistor is used is to |
| Put simply; solar powered lights work by converting | | | | turn on the power when there is not enough light |
| energy from the Sun into electricity, enabling the lights | | | | absorbed by it. So after building up the electricity during |
| to work. The clever bit is that the electricity can be | | | | the day the system powers up the lights once it gets |
| stored within the system so that you can even use | | | | dark. Additional ways of controlling the light can be |
| the lights at night. | | | | included for special types of lights; e.g. security lighting, |
| The electricity | | | | which will be covered in another article. |
| Solar devices use solar cells to convert the suns | | | | Bulb, Fluorescent, or LED? |
| energy into electricity. The cells are usually combined | | | | The humble light bulb, whilst a wonderful invention, along |
| together into solar panels; the size of these panels can | | | | with fluorescent lamps; now have competition which |
| influence the amount of electricity that is produced. | | | | includes LEDs'. An LED (light emitting diode) has many |
| The first solar cells were reliant on being in almost | | | | advantages, including much lower energy consumption |
| direct sun light to function, however the technology has | | | | and greater life. Whilst LEDs' have been around since |
| developed and there are now cells which can convert | | | | the 1960s' it is only fairly recently that they have |
| almost any light source into electricity. This makes | | | | become useable for general lighting. The efficiency of |
| positioning of lights and their power source much | | | | todays' LED means that it can now emit a lot of light |
| easier. | | | | for relatively low energy input. This allows our solar |
| Storing the electricity | | | | powered lighting to work for several hours on the |
| The simplest storage is provided by rechargeable | | | | energy built up during the daytime. LEDs' are also |
| batteries (also known as accumulators). The volume | | | | available in a number of colours. |
| of electricity that can be stored is directly related to | | | | Solar power can enable us to light our properties for |
| the number of and the size of the batteries. The | | | | utility, security or decoration without using mains power. |
| system charges the batteries during day time which is | | | | This could have considerable benefits to both the |
| then available for use when required. | | | | ecology and our pockets. Imagine what you could do |
| Controlling the lights | | | | with solar powered lighting around your own home. |