5 Ways to Use Solar Lighting Around Your Home

As much as $5.2 billion has been saved in energy-related spending by off-grid households since 2010.  This is attributed to switching from expensive energy sources such as kerosene. Solar power is the future for homes, along with other renewable sources like wind and geothermal.  

How do you get in on solar energy savings without buying panels? Solar lighting has become an affordable entry point. Outdoor lighting can be expensive and require wiring that may need professional installation. Not with solar lights.

You can essentially have unlimited free energy for your outdoor lights, beautifying your home. Here are five examples of how you can incorporate solar-powered lights.

1. Illuminate your Deck or Porch

Small outdoor lights can make a big impact on the overall visibility and mood of your property. You can find pillar top lighting solutions in various shapes, sizes, and materials. For instance, you could go with large, sturdy, rustic steel gate post lights that accent the entrances to your front and backyard.

Post top lights can be completely autonomous lighting solutions for your deck or porch. Thanks to efficient solar tech and LED bulbs, you can install these lights to provide "free" lighting without having to deal with electrical wiring or a bump on the electric bill for that matter.

2. Create a Pathway with Solar Lighting

Yards can become treacherous places to walk through in the dead of the night. Even with a manicured lawn, losing your footing is much easier without being able to see your feet. The best solution is to use solar lights to map out the path to your door.

Pathway lights are so popular and often very cheap. It's recommended that you don't go too cheap or risk constantly having to replace broken ones. Mowing the lawn or accidentally kicking them over can break cheap solar lights easily.

Fairy lights are another popular choice for soft lighting around the yard. These ambient lights can help prevent the harshness of too much light.

Make sure the lights have replaceable batteries and bulbs, that will get you many more years out of them.

3. Accent Lighting

Not to be confused with ambient lighting, accent lights are typically used to light up one object or to fulfill one job. They often come in the form of a single spotlight, just be careful not to blind the neighbors. These work great for illuminating a small set of steps, pathways, or maybe just to show off a particular art piece.

You can find accent lights in the form of wall lights, solar-powered lanterns, or recessed wall lights. They are also great for adding light around switches or control panels.

Solar-power accent lights can double as perimeter security for your home. Strategically placed spotlights can eliminate any "blind spots" where criminals can hide. It's much harder to creep up to a home with spotlights everywhere, casting shadows and alerting neighbors.

4. Increase Pool Attractiveness

Pools become a bit less appealing when the sun sets. Even with the light coming off the side of the porch or deck, it can be unsettling for some. Installing your solar pool lights can set things off.

You can use post top lights, pool lanterns, floodlights, and path lights to increase visibility and set the stage for fun. Go for color-changing lights that transform the water surface into a dance floor. Use spotlights to illuminate the pool edges to avoid slip-and-fall accidents.

Pool maintenance and upkeep can get expensive, that's why using solar lights is so ideal. LED solar bulbs can have a service life of up to 20,000 hours. You can even find some solar-powered pool equipment to lower your monthly bills.

5. Driveways and Gates

These are two areas outside the home that don't necessarily need a lot of light. They can both benefit from motion-activated solar lights to help enter or exit. Again, this also makes for a great added layer of security to your home or business without professional installation.

For the driveway, you could go with lines of string lights that are crush-resistant. A motion sensor can trigger these or set to come on at night. Sensitivity levels for lights triggered by nearby motion can be reduced to ignore pedestrians.

This can be incredibly useful for small businesses who cannot afford big security contracts. Solar lights work as great companions to video doorbell cameras. These cameras often need decent lighting to capture clear facial images.

While it won't replace live security monitoring, this is an affordable solution. At the very least, it will give you plenty of high-quality evidence if any crimes are committed on your property.

Be an Example for the Neighborhood

Solar lighting can bring your property to life. You can improve visibility, security, and curb appeal, just from a few solar lights installed. Don't forget; you can also apply this to holiday decorations, too.

Halloween, Easter, and Christmas lights can be purchased with solar power sources. This should lower not only your electric bill but also prevent potential problems with trying to string cords all over the yard. The neighbors will absolutely love your DIY setup and will want to follow your lead.

Lowering our carbon footprints and relying less on fossil fuels is a community effort. The freedom of choice and alternative solutions that solar can bring is powerful.

Get the Most Out of Solar

While shopping for new solar lighting solutions, you might want to check out some light dimming options, too. This will provide even more options for lighting your home or business. You may come up with a hybrid solution for spaces that may only need a little light for most of the day, yet still be able to provide more light when needed.

If you need help choosing the best solar lights for your outdoor setup, contact us anytime. Our experts can advise you on how to install, customize, and care for your solar-power lighting. Clean energy and high quality, easy to install lighting products are our passion.