Solar market has been growing gradually with many innovative lights attracting customers to switch from the existing harmful light sources to these eco-friendly technologies. Modern Solar lights are perfect for outdoors as well as indoors and are cost effective and easy to install which will not affect your electricity bill anymore. But being a customer are you familiar of what to buy and what not to? Since there are wide range of solar products available in the market, you might get confused which one will serve your need purposefully.
In this write up we will find out the things we need to know before buying a solar street light.
1. Solar Battery : According to a normal person solar lights work when sunlight falls on a solar panel it charges the battery during the day and that stored energy is used to power the light after dark. So, to achieve greater results you should check the batteries before purchasing.
Solar lights having cheap batteries can stay lit only for a few hours without direct sunlight. In places like the tropics where the sun shines consistently year-round, it will give good results but it will be ineffective in places away from the tropics.
In regions like northern latitudes, solar lights need more autonomy to stay lit during long periods of darkness and stormy weather. So, solar lights with a high-capacity lithium battery can use their stored power more efficiently and for longer period of time.
2. Storage capacity : A solar light with good power storage requires less time to fully charge a battery, and can continue to operate effectively with few hours of sunlight. Power storage isn’t the same as charging time. A battery with low-capacity will reach full charge more quickly than larger battery, but the high-capacity battery will usually have a superior power storage rate.
3. Smart light : With technology getting better each day, solar lights are not left behind. Modern solar lights have advanced processors can actively adapt to the environment and save more power. These lights have infra sensory that can automatically switch off during the day and switch on once when night falls after recharging. They can also sense at a distance of 7 to 10 meters away and detect motion to automatically adjust its brightness.
4. Weather condition : If your climate is too hot, cold or wet cheap batteries possibly won’t survive for a long. However, by selecting solar lights with a specified temperature tolerance you can be sure your lights will last longer because the battery is usually the first thing to fail from extreme temperatures. So make sure the battery is replaceable in your selected solar light.
5. LED Lights : LED lights are meant to provide maximum lumens with minimum power, but they can do so much within a limited power source. Low quality lights can produce under 100 lumens, while high-performing ones can produce over 120 lumens which makes a big difference while landscaping and safety.
6. Distribution pattern : Solar lights are distributed in 2 common patterns- symmetrical and asymmetrical. Symmetrical lighting can deliver in a condensed and even circular pattern used in landscaping while asymmetrical lighting are delivered in a narrow, elongated form that is ideal for pathway lighting to brighten walkways in safety applications.
Other than these steps always go for trial before actually purchasing the product and do not forget to check the certificate for authorisation. This certificate also confirms that the solar panels have been tested and they have met their advertised specifications.
