Home power solar LED lights are the latest in solar power products to hit the market. By being free of relying on traditional electricity sources, these modern lights are a dream for designers when it comes to outdoor lighting.
How solar power LED lights came about:
Ever since solar power became portable, people have thought of as many solar power uses as possible. What made solar power so attractive for outdoor lighting was its portability – replacing the need for long, unsightly extension leads in the garden. Initially individuals tried using compact fluorescent light (CFL) bulbs, but the small solar panels could not produce enough wattage for the lights to burn bright enough.
As a result the solar light market was limited to places near the equator with large amounts of sunlight. And even then the solar panels and batteries had to be large enough to cater for the period of longest nights, shortest days and cloudiest conditions.
Then as LED lights started hitting the market, manufacturers realized they would be ideal for solar lighting since they burned brightly, but used minimal power. And thanks to technological improvements in home solar power LED lights, the solar lighting market is no longer confined to equatorial areas with the most amount of direct sunlight and highest temperatures.
So what were the technological improvements, and how did they benefit the solar market?
They were:
1. Optimized system efficiency
LED lights are now capable of optimizing current flows, where no power is wasted, so the overall system efficiency is almost 100 percent.
2. LED’s can be fine tuned
Since solar LED lights can be programmed, users are now able to select not only where the light is delivered but also how brightly and when it is delivered. This has led to a reduction in solar panel and battery size by as much as 50 percent of the original outdoor lighting system.
3. Effective illumination
LED lights are able to provide directional beams of light, where about 90 percent can be used for ambient lighting and a further 70 percent for task lighting. Furthermore, a 45 lumen LED light can create the same amount of light as a 75 lumen CFL bulb, resulting in lower electricity usage and costs for running a home power solar lighting system.
4. Improved performance, efficiency and lifespan in cold temperatures
Most outdoor lamps tend to lose performance and lifetime in colder temperatures – where they seem rather dim or burn out very quickly in sub-zero climates. But LED’s are different – they don’t produce light from a filament, but rather a micro-chip. And since micro-chips run better at lower temperatures, solar LED lights can last 5 to 10 times longer than CFL bulbs.
With all these technological breakthroughs anyone is now able to enjoy home power solar LED lighting at home, no matter where they live. And if you know how to make your own solar panel system, all you have to do is add some inexpensive LED lights to enjoy free outdoor lighting. It couldn’t be simpler!
Originally posted 2008-12-20 11:42:14.
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