The key to success with most projects is to clearly identify from the start what it is you aim to achieve - and installing solar garden lighting is no different. Do you want to increase security around your property, provide courtesy lighting for visitors, entertain family and friends, or quite simply make your garden more appealing at night?
The likelihood is of course that your initial list of requirements will include at least some of these plus a few others for good measure. But by going through this basic planning phase and identifying various zones and possible types of light fitting you will be much better placed to understand how to balance the variety of demands placed on your outdoor solar lighting.
Solar deck lights for example won't deter many intruders (though these highly versatile little devices will function very well in many situations such as path or drive markers). Equally you probably don't want bright floodlights on your entertaining areas, and while low level coloured lights look lovely as decorative features in the garden they won't help your guests see what they're eating or drinking.
Outdoor solar lights that are intended to be primarily functional in nature (rather than simply appearing attractive) are easiest to install since the criteria they have to meet are typically well defined. When illuminating a pathway, for example, the simple test is whether the lighting does indeed enable you to safely navigate the path at night. Likewise, solar security lights should fully flood those areas you wish to secure against possible intruders.
Solar garden lighting whose purpose is simply to look attractive might not have to pass any specific "tests" but that doesn't let it entirely off the hook where guidelines and best practice are concerned. The first point to consider is that solar lighting depends on getting a daily charge from the sun and so they (or their separate solar panel in some systems) need to be positioned in a bright spot.
Secondly, outdoor solar lights are typically less bright than their mains powered counterparts. Even when fitted with highly efficient LED light bubs they have to provide many hours of light from a single battery charge and simply cannot run as brightly. But that can be turned to an advantage since you can pack in many more solar garden lights than is possible using regular lights to create striking yet still subdued effects.
Third, one of the major advantages of solar garden lighting is that not only is it incredibly easy to install in the first place, but almost more importantly it is very easy to experiment with the installation until you get it just right. You're not quite literally tied to a fixed length cable and can keep on adjusting the layout as required (if needs to be to suit plant growth or die back as seasons change).
Finally, never forget that it is your garden and therefore you can do as you please. If you want to string solar fairy lights along a dull fence or scatter sun jars at random then go right ahead. The fact is that pretty much any outside garden lighting looks a whole lot better than none at all, and it is near impossible to make a garden actually look worse by installing solar lighting.
The likelihood is of course that your initial list of requirements will include at least some of these plus a few others for good measure. But by going through this basic planning phase and identifying various zones and possible types of light fitting you will be much better placed to understand how to balance the variety of demands placed on your outdoor solar lighting.
Solar deck lights for example won't deter many intruders (though these highly versatile little devices will function very well in many situations such as path or drive markers). Equally you probably don't want bright floodlights on your entertaining areas, and while low level coloured lights look lovely as decorative features in the garden they won't help your guests see what they're eating or drinking.
Outdoor solar lights that are intended to be primarily functional in nature (rather than simply appearing attractive) are easiest to install since the criteria they have to meet are typically well defined. When illuminating a pathway, for example, the simple test is whether the lighting does indeed enable you to safely navigate the path at night. Likewise, solar security lights should fully flood those areas you wish to secure against possible intruders.
Solar garden lighting whose purpose is simply to look attractive might not have to pass any specific "tests" but that doesn't let it entirely off the hook where guidelines and best practice are concerned. The first point to consider is that solar lighting depends on getting a daily charge from the sun and so they (or their separate solar panel in some systems) need to be positioned in a bright spot.
Secondly, outdoor solar lights are typically less bright than their mains powered counterparts. Even when fitted with highly efficient LED light bubs they have to provide many hours of light from a single battery charge and simply cannot run as brightly. But that can be turned to an advantage since you can pack in many more solar garden lights than is possible using regular lights to create striking yet still subdued effects.
Third, one of the major advantages of solar garden lighting is that not only is it incredibly easy to install in the first place, but almost more importantly it is very easy to experiment with the installation until you get it just right. You're not quite literally tied to a fixed length cable and can keep on adjusting the layout as required (if needs to be to suit plant growth or die back as seasons change).
Finally, never forget that it is your garden and therefore you can do as you please. If you want to string solar fairy lights along a dull fence or scatter sun jars at random then go right ahead. The fact is that pretty much any outside garden lighting looks a whole lot better than none at all, and it is near impossible to make a garden actually look worse by installing solar lighting.
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If you found this interesting then be sure to check out this additional article that looks at solar landscape lighting in more detail.
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