Solar Lights in Winter

Solar lights are fast gaining popularity in many homes but are mainly used as decorative items. They have not been fully accepted as reliable lighting for many reasons, one of which is the myth that they will be of no use during the winter.

This myth has been disproved a number of times by those who own such lights. Saying that solar lights will not function during the winter is like saying that the sun does not come out at all during the winter which is not true. It may not be as scorching as the other seasons of the year but it comes out all the same.

Automated mechanism

Solar lights have an inbuilt mechanism that allows them to continue running during the times when sunlight is in limited supply. The solar panel continues collecting the sun’s radiation no matter how little it is and the solar radiation is converted into electrical energy that gets stored in a rechargeable battery. The battery discharges and powers the light throughout the night.

The environment outside is usually darker than usual but there is always some light outside. The solar light has a light sensor that takes advantage of this by noting when it gets dark and light. When it starts to get dark in the evening the sensor notes this and the light goes on and when it gets a little bright in the morning it switches off.

On for shorter periods

Since the amount of sunlight is reduced during winter the amount of electrical energy available is also reduced. This means that the lights will most probably last a shorter time during winter nights as compared to other seasons. If your lights normally go for 10 hours you may find that they stay on for between six and eight hours. The brightness remains the same throughout and since you will probably not be awake in the middle of the night or early morning when the lights go off then there is no harm done.

There are other solar lights that have a dimming mechanism when the lights are not being used as such like late in the night. This allows minimum consumption of energy and the lights could even stay on for the regular number of hours but only dimmer.

Advantages all through

Solar lighting works to your advantage in many ways because once installation is complete there are no utility bills to be paid every month. The sun’s energy continues to power the LED fixtures. The LED fixtures usually produce a lot of good quality light as well. They are famed for efficiency since they use a minimum amount of energy for the brightness they produce thus making them the best option for such circumstances.

No maintenance costs follow you because these lights are essentially built to live through the toughest of environments. They are known to last for as long as 10 to 25 years with minimal maintenance. The snow and extreme temperatures do not damage these lights so they can comfortable be installed and used throughout the year, year in year in year out.        

For more information about solar lighting, please visit http://www.greenshine-solar.com/