With global warming and climate change seen as serious threats to the earth and its inhabitants, the need for alternative energy options has sparked renewed interest in using solar power for a variety of applications. Before committing to using solar power for any application, it would be wise to consider the inherent pros and cons of relying on the sun for power.
PROS
long term cost
When using solar powered lighting for less crucial applications, such as landscape or garden lighting, you can often set it and forget about it. Since the sun’s rays are completely free, the long-term cost of lighting your landscape is equal to the initial cost of the lights. This is a huge advantage, as using solar lighting instead of electric lighting to illuminate your landscape and outdoor areas will ultimately save hundreds or even thousands of dollars over the years.
reliability
Again, when using solar lighting for non-critical applications like outdoor lighting, you can just set the lights and forget about them. They can do their job for years without your intervention.
Maintenance
Very little maintenance is needed for solar powered outdoor lights as they should last for years before you need to replace them or replace a part.
Setting
If you are simply going to light your paths or driveways then solar lighting is a great option as you will be able to place the lights in the ground very easily, without any complicated, messy or dangerous electrical connections.
CONS
Initial cost
As with other types of solar lighting, the initial cost of solar powered outdoor lighting is typically higher than that of electric outdoor lights. If you have a large yard, a long driveway, long driveways, or want to illuminate all of your trees at night, then the initial cost of solar powered lighting can be quite high.
reliability
While the need for maintenance is substantially reduced through the use of solar-powered outdoor lighting, there is also another side to the reliability coin. In the end, you are still using an energy source that is only available for a little over half of the day. So consider that rainy, foggy, snowy or stormy days will allow the lights to accumulate very little power to illuminate your landscape at night. In the case of weather-inhibiting energy storage, some solar lighting kits have a built-in backup battery or use electricity as a backup power source. However, for lights that do not have a backup power supply, on winter days they may only come on for a few hours at night, or just have a dimmer light for a shorter period.
Whether you choose solar-powered lighting for outdoor areas or choose traditional lighting methods, it’s important to consider the pros and cons of each method.
