Your garden can be off-grid, even if your house isn’t. solar outdoor lights can illuminate patios, terraces, walkways and driveways as well as gardens. At night the battery operates a LED that can stay lit for up to 10 hours. LED bulbs never need replacement. Of course, there are no electricity bills to pay. And they are great as allnight torches on picnicking and camping expeditions.
Models include wall-mounted lanterns, coloured glow balls or pond lights, spotlights and security lights to place above a gate or pathway.
They all contain a solar panel which absorbs solar energy, stores it and converts it to electricity that re- charges a battery. The batteries usually last for months and some models allow for replacements while others have to be scrapped.
All you need is a drill and a bit of elbow grease (for more technical details see HowStuffWorks.com )
greenhome.com offers a broad range of outdoor solar lights. Prices range from $39.95 to $79.95
The Sustainable Village is a ‘social enterprise’ which helps setting up microenterprise projects concerning energy generation, safe water, long-distance communication, sustainable agriculture, in developing countries. They organise and provide all the ‘hard technology’ for the projects, from design and engineering to supplying parts and developing web sites. The Sustainable Village sells over 10 000 products over the internet, including outdoor solar lights. Prices start at $27 for a garden light; parts, light bulbs etc are also available on the website. For bigger scale projects, they offer solar area security lights and street lights. All profits go to their projects.
lighting-direct.co.uk offer solar garden lights big or small, lanterns and pond lights from 8.60.
gadgetpages have lights from 9.99 for a floating solar pond light.
britisheco.com specializes in garden equipment and solar powered lighting and water features, provides solar outdoor glow balls and lanterns, prices starting at 17.99.
Gardenitems.co.uk have a range of solar spotlights, garden lights and security lights.
Argos have solar lights from 24.99 for a pack of three garden lights to be placed in the ground.
B&Q offer one type of garden light at 14.96
Other links
Solarilluminations.com Website dedicated to selling outdoor solar lights
One Response
I have been using solar lights in my front yard for a few years and have always found them great. Just recently I switched over to using solar lighting for my backyard garden and pond and its also been wonderful. I love using green lighting for my green pond!