‘How to’? Use Solar Lighting

Solar lighting offers an easy, eco-friendly solution to lighting a front door or garden path at night. Lighting will add a warm ambience to the atmosphere of your garden during the evening, allowing you make the most of your outdoor living space after dark. They are a convenient, portable alternative to mains power lighting with no cables to worry about and they can last much longer than an ordinary battery powered light.

Choosing the best type of solar light for the job

Functional – a spotlight, stake light or post light is the right choice for illuminating a pathway or an area of the garden or driveway.

Decorative – string lights, hanging lights or table top lanterns are fantastic for enhancing an outdoor setting as well as providing some light. They can really make an outdoor space feel cosy and welcoming.

General Advice and Useful Tips

• All solar lighting has a solar panel that uses sunlight to charge up during the day, stored energy then releases as light after dusk. Most have sensors to automatically power on as it becomes dark.
• When placing your lights, make sure the solar panel has an uninterrupted view of the sky. Some solar panels are built in whilst others are separate which can be useful if placing lights in a shadier area.
• When first used from new, it is best to keep your lights powered off and give them at least one full day’s charge on a bright day.
• From fully charged, you should expect four or five hours of illumination – plenty to see you through the evening. Obviously, a solar light is dependent on sunlight for charging, therefore during winter months illumination time will be reduced. Although cloudy days and winter periods are less effective for charging, they do still manage to accumulate some energy.
• Keep the solar panel clean by wiping with a damp cloth to maximise the sunlight received. Any residue on the solar panel can be detrimental to it charging effectively.
• The batteries in solar lights generally last a couple of years, most often they can be replaced. We sell replacement batteries, please ask a member of staff for help selecting the correct size.

Solar lighting can also be fun, children will love spotting these ‘glo-bugs’ around the garden!