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Solar Lawn Lights
Edison's invention is about 100 years old. It's about time we
thought about using something a little more up to date.
Actually Edison didn't invent the light bulb. He improved it,
devising one in 1879 that burned for 40 hours, achieving 1,220
hours a year later (a number a little better than modern
incandescent bulbs, 750-1,000 hours). GE patented
tungsten-filament bulbs in 1906.
But all these still require a source of electricity. Batteries
made the situation better, but they still have to be replaced
periodically. They're also not great for certain applications,
such as the lawn where sprinklers can get them wet.
Enter: solar-powered lawn lights.
Though the initial cost is sometimes a bit higher than other
lawn lamps, they make up for it in several ways. Since they're
stand-alone units, no wiring is required. No need to dig
trenches and plug into the house current. They also outdo
battery-powered units because, as noted, there's no risk of
internal decay. They're well sealed.
With that degree of independence and functionality, solar lawn
lights can be placed anywhere. If you later decide to expand
the lawn, adding more is a snap. Just shove them into the new
ground and you're good to go. Ditto, if you decide to turn part
of the yard into a walkway or patio. Pulling up solar-powered
lawn lights entails no risk of hitting the wires and no need to
re-wire an existing design.
That flexibility makes it ultra-easy to move lights. It makes
it just as easy to replace them. They can last for 10,000 hours
or more (that's almost three years if they burn 10 hours a
night, every night). But ultimately the batteries will need to
be replaced. That's super easy since you just pull one up and
insert the new ones. With the rate at which people move houses
today, they may well last as long as you own the house.
The Ni-Cad or NiMh batteries used in these units today have
little or no 'memory' so they'll recharge fully over and over
again, even when the light doesn't run out of power before dawn
arrives. That can be an issue in certain Northern climates
where, during the summer, there's only a few hours of
darkness.
By the same token, there may not be enough sunlight hours to
fully recharge the batteries. The lights may not burn all
night. But many people set a timer on wired lights to turn off
well before dawn. So, as with any option, solar lighting is an
individual choice.
There's no need to turn them off and on, or even to set a
timer. Sensors cause them to charge as long as there's sunlight
and to come on when the ambient light dips to levels at dusk.
Most modern solar lamps will produce almost 7 watts for 8-10
hours. They can achieve that because most use highly efficient,
low wattage consumption LEDs instead of incandescent bulbs.
They're a great option, durable and attractive. Give solar lawn
lights a try.
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