Monday, February 15, 2010

Solar Patio Lights

Now that spring is almost here, quite a few of us are looking forward to backyard BBQs and other evening social events.  We love to have these get-togethers on our back patios.  Many of us, therefore, know the importance of having adequate light.  Not having enough light can turn a festive evening into an event that will be talked about for all the wrong reasons!  Solar patio lights are one of the easiest ways to insure that you and your guests get full enjoyment out of the evening.

Do you have patio lights now?  Most back yards have a single bulb, mounted to the outside wall with a switch inside that turns it on and off.  I have seen people actually holding a flashlight while trying to cook on the BBQ!  “Hold this and aim it at the chicken” is a phrase I have heard all too often.  I have even seen back patios with extension chords running along the awnings to try to get more lights to dark sections of the yard.  I remember a party I went to a year or so ago where we kept losing our light because people kept unplugging the extension chord by tripping over it! There has got to be a better way!

There is better way.  It is solar patio lights.  Solar lights can be mounted pretty much anywhere you need and have so many options and styles to choose from that it is very easy to find the perfect combination of lights to give you exactly what you need, where you need it.  You can opt to install several lights around the edge of your patio to give a soft glowing light to the whole area, providing a warm and inviting ambience. You can use solar spot lights to highlight other areas of your patio.   You can set them up to cast a multicolored glow from your patio cover or awning.  You can even use them as outdoor flood lights to help to light larger areas.

The great thing about solar patio lights is that they need no external electrical supply source.  Like with all solar lights, you need only install them so that their solar panels can receive direct sunlight during the day, and when evening comes they will switch on automatically.  They come in a vast array of styles so you can mix and match them to work with your existing patio decor.  Installation can usually be accomplished in a matter of minutes.

The biggest concern from consumers about using outdoor solar lights has been in the areas of cost and dependability.  Over the last couple of years, however, solar technology has grown so much as to render those concerns obsolete.  Solar cells have become much more efficient and much less expensive to manufacture.  The integration of LED lighting has made concerns about bulbs burning out a thing of the past.  With a little bit of research and some savvy buying your patio can be beautifully lit with solar patio lights.