Solar panels, equipment and lighting utilize the sun’s rays in order to produce energy and ultimately this is transformed into a usable power source to light a person’s house, work area or backyard. Essentially solar panels collect the light coming from the sun and change it into electrical power that is then kept in rechargeable batteries all ready to be used. Thanks to the latest technology, there are now a vast number of solutions on the market which can be used as a main light source or a decorative finish.
Some advantages of using solar power compared to oil include:
The sun supplies us with a renewable resource of energy and although we are at the mercy of adverse weather conditions, as long as there is sunlight, there is power! In comparison, it’s a well known fact that oil companies are struggling to find new sites to drill.
Solar cells are completely silent. They can acquire energy from the sun without making a sound. Now think of the noise that the large equipment used to drill for and pump oil make!
Solar energy is non-polluting. Of all the advantages of solar energy over oil, this is, possibly, the most significant. The burning of oil emits carbon dioxide and various other greenhouse gases as well as carcinogens into the atmosphere.
Solar cells require very little maintenance (they have no moving parts that need to be repaired), and they last a long time.
Although the cost of solar power can be expensive at the outset, sunlight remains free so ongoing costs are negligible. Compare that to the spiralling cost of oil!
Installation of solar powered devices tends to be relatively simple as there is no wiring required.
If you are looking to brighten up your yard or garden then solar lights are the perfect solution. Accent lights, path lanterns, garden lights and deck lights are just a few of the items to choose from. Accent lights tend to be the cheapest as they have the lowest wattage but even these need only 1 day of charging to give you 2 nights of light. Advanced technology has helped improve efficiency and produced less bulky designs. Your primary task is to ensure that the cells are placed in an area that gives them adequate sunlight. In summary, what better way is there to brighten up your home or workplace, save money and at the same time, help our planet?
Want to find out more about Solar Lighting, then visit Graham Renwall’s site on how to choose the best Solar Outdoor Lights, Lanterns & Lamps for your needs.
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Taking pride in your garden is something which every homeowner loves doing. We go to great lengths to make sure that you capture the wonderful features of this environment and what it has to offer. One of the greatest methods you can do this is to put outdoor deck lights. They can transform the area into a peaceful setting for the pleasure of you and your friends.
When you decide that deck lights are something which you desire to include in your garden then you will have to choose which design you would like to opt for. There are plenty of different brands and materials that you could make use of and each one has their own distinct features.
Most important factor to take into account is what design you want to create. You may either decide the material to be utilized or you may even mix different ones together to build your own unique setup. Some of the types that you can pick from are copper, bronze, aluminum and also some wood materials. The great thing about the options are that they can be used to blend into the surroundings or they could stand out to create a focal point for attention.
Another area which will require consideration is where you want the illumination to come from. Since the objective of these fittings is to accent an area naturally without it looking artificial, you want to place the accessories accordingly and get the right atmosphere simultaneously. Having the proper size bulbs in each lamp, believe it or not, is a key component to design which many people overlook. If a fixture is giving off a lot of brightness then it takes away from the beauty of the piece and draws attention away from the other accessories as well.
These lines of outdoor deck lights are inexpensive when you consider what they can do to a region. But before you purchase anything you need to talk to an illumination specialist at some of the retailers so that they could convey your interests with the most practical products. They will make sure that you make use of each fixture and place them properly.
outdoor deck lights can dramatically increase the value of your house. Many people come to look at houses after work when it is night time if they can see your deck and yard they are more likely to love it and put an offer in.
Whenever people ask where they should start if they want to decrease their monthly electricity bills, the most universal response they are going to hear is — change your lighting to energy efficient bulbs. Before you actually change out all your bulbs you may want to know what the real savings are going to be in hard cash; the good news is that with this simple calculation you can figure it out down to the last cent!
To figure out the cost of running your present halogen or incandescent bulbs all you need is the wattage of the bulbs, the rate you’re paying per kilowatt hour (found on your power bill), and a calculator. Now I’ll take you through a sample scenario.
(Note: Kilowatt hours are indicated by “Kwh”.)
Watts times hours per day = watts per day.
Watts/day divided by 1000 = Kwh/day.
Kwh used each day x 30 = total Kwh used each month.
Total Kwh per month times cost per Kwh = total cost per month.
Now we use this calculation to determine the cost of using a 100 watt incandescent or halogen bulb for one month. A bulb like that in your basement rec room might easily be on for 10 hours per day. (If you think that estimate is too high, it’s not. I think you’ll notice that some bulbs stay lit a lot more than 10 hours each day, particularly in rooms that don’t get much daylight.). In this example we will presume that you’re paying $.12 per Kwh for your power, but you could be paying more than that in your area. The rate you pay for your electricity is shown on the invoice you receive each month from your utility company.
100 watts for 10 hours = 1000 watts.
Divide 1000 watts by 1000 = total of 1 Kwh each day.
30 days x 1 Kwh = Monthly 30 Kwh.
$.12 x 30 Kwh = $3.60 monthly. This is what you are paying to run ONE inefficient light bulb.
If we apply the same calculation to a compact fluorescent bulb we can determine exactly how much money is saved. A 23 watt compact fluorescent will replace a 100 watt incandescent (if replacing halogen lights you might need a 25 or 27 watt bulb).
23 watts x 10 hours/day = 230 watts/day.
Divided by 1000 = 0.23 Kwh per day.
30 days multiplied by 0.23 Kwh = total of 6.9 Kwh.
6.9 Kwh x $.12 = $.83 per month. Your monthly cost reduction for a single light bulb would be $2.77, which translates to 77%.
If you replaced 10 bulbs in your house you’d save $27.70 in one month.
Using this simple method you can find out exactly how much you would save by replacing all your bulbs with compact fluorescents, matching the wattage of your current lights with the equivalent in energy efficient lighting. With many styles and sizes of bulbs to choose from, including those with different bases for various fixtures, it’s not hard to find energy efficient lighting that will respond to your situation. You can also get compact fluorescent bulbs that are rugged enough for exterior use, while an increasing number of indoor styles can be used on a dimmer switch for your living room, bedrooms, hallways or wherever you like that flexibility.
Switching to energy efficient bulbs does involve some up front expense because they do cost more than your old bulbs. You will still save money, though, because these bulbs last much longer and because the saving in electricity is so substantial. A gradual change to energy efficient lighting, by changing only a few bulbs once a month, will help to distribute the extra cost of these lights; the cost of the bulbs will be returned within the first two months by what you save on your electric bill.
Don’t discard the receipts for your compact fluorescent bulbs, because most of them are covered by a fairly good guarantee. Since you’ll never remember which bulbs were put in any given room, keep a brief record on your receipt or the package and then it will be simple to dig out the right one if a bulb does fail during the warranty.
There are many other tips to lower electrical bills, such as using renewable energy sources. Terry O’Reilly has pulled together a wide range of information on the subject at the Energy Resources Journal.
