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Solar Security Light: Worth Buying Or Not?

The strongest and most abundant source of light energy is sunlight. Hence, it only makes sense to use it urgently when we are already suffering from the rampant depletion of all the major non-renewable energy resources.

Solar security light seems to be a good place to start. The solar energy harness technology has undergone a major evolution in the past few years. That is why they can be fully entrusted with home security in the form of solar security lights. All this advancement has made it possible to turn them into a much more dependable and useful resource.

Pros

The many advantages of solar security lights are as follows:

Save Money

The solar security lights take care of your bottom line. Since they run completely on solar energy, you don’t have to pay a single dime for your home safety ever again. Considering the intense and constant light required throughout the night for efficient surveillance, you will be saving a bucketload after getting these installed.

The sun is at the center of its functioning. So the increasing fossil fuel prices that cause a steep rise in the electricity rates are not your problem anymore. Whether you forget to switch it off before your extended vacation will also not burn a hole in your pocket. You don’t require that energy-saver setting anymore just to keep your bills from messing up your monthly budget.

Easy Installation and Relocation

The solar security light is made up of just 2-3 components. This makes it easy to carry, install, and relocate them. There is not much wiring involved too. It mainly comprises of just the solar panel, motion sensor, and the lighting fixture. So you can practically install these lights anywhere in and around your home.

Easy Installation

You don’t need to worry about whether it can be supplied with electricity there. Or that if the water source might make it a shock hazard. When you move, you can just take it out in minutes and reinstall it in the new location. It has been designed in a way to promote this ease of functioning.

More Options

Solar energy was not explored well a couple of decades ago. All the latest developments have made it possible to use solar energy in the as little or big capacity as desired. Today, you can use it to flood the massive sports stadium with light. Or, just add a highlight to your home design with the solar accent lights.

The solar lights can be used with motion sensors, cameras, and many other advanced widgets too. This makes the solar lighting option all that useful since they uncomplicate the wiring and installation procedures by a lot. You can use them to light up your garage, front yard, or the entire landscape.

Unlimited Energy Source

Solar energy is a relatively renewable source of energy. Its supply is not ending anytime before about 7.5 billion years. So, for the time being, it is a continuous overflowing source of energy. You can harness and use it in innumerable forms.

And, the sun is just such a giant source of energy in comparison to our requirements that we can never run out of it. There is no way to conduct exploitative usage as we sadly do with other energy sources. Fossil fuels are the most widely used but the most inefficient energy source out there.

Long-term Environmental Benefits

The fossil fuels pollute the environment and will run out in just under a century with the current usage pattern. So why not to be prudent and start using the ideal energy source – the sun – right now! The planet earth is going through a major environmental crisis due to the overuse of fossil fuels among other reasons.

Solar Energy

The dependence on electricity for most of our appliances results in heightened consumption of fossil fuels to generate electricity. By switching to a clean energy source like the sun we can make a big difference in the environmental conditions for good.

These are the many benefits of using solar security lights in your house.

Cons

There are a couple of downsides too mentioned below.

Intensity and Color

The lower-end models might not give optimum performance when it comes to quality lighting using the solar panels. You might find the light to be too feeble for the night time vision. This is because of a sub-standard solar battery that is not able to harness and consequently store enough solar power to produce rich daytime akin light.

The light can also be too blue for practical usage. This happens when the CRI of your LED in not in the favorable range. Such bulbs fail to produce soothing cool lighting without sacrificing on the intensity. However, a careful selection will lead you to just the right kind of LED for your solar security light.

Dependent on Climate

A lot can interfere with the quality of light reaching your home. The winters hardly get any sun and that situation lasts for months on end. Then there is the rainy season that brings the humidity too with it that might be detrimental to the solar battery.

The everyday pollution also interferes with the range of sunlight which is finally able to reach your homes. This is why you need to consult your local home security advisor regarding the applicability of these kinds of lights in your vicinity.

Take care of the above limitations while choosing the security lighting for your home.

Effectiveness

Let us take a look at how the solar security lights fare in challenging environmental conditions.

Winters

The winter season might sound like an obstacle if your own solar security lights. But a few adjustments might make it fine for you to continue using them. Tilt the panel at a 45-degree angle to get better access to sunlight circulating in the atmosphere. Go for a light above 1400 lumens to get the brightest light at all times.

Cloudy

The dark clouds greatly reduce the absorption of sunlight by the solar panels. The white scattered clouds are fine since they don’t intrude on the passage of light. You will experience an over 80 to 90 percent drop in the solar battery output during these days. So prepare beforehand for your security lighting needs.

Rain

The lithium batteries offer the best output by storing solar energy that can be used for days without needing a recharge. They make use of the UV rays too that can easily penetrate the rain and clouds for the recharge.

Rain

Then we have the infrared motion sensor that can keep the lights off when there is no traffic/person to illuminate. The waterproof solar security panels can withstand heavy rains for consecutive days without malfunctioning.

Things to Consider Before Buying

Below are the main things that you need to pay attention to in your new solar security light.

Batteries

The premium batteries used in solar security lights are the Lithium batteries. They can produce upto 2000 cycles and require no maintenance. The specific energy generated by them allows them to be light and small while constantly providing huge energy outputs.

The lead-acid batteries are most commonly used in cars and solar floodlights. They are known for their high power output and rechargeable nature. The nickel-metal hydride (Ni-MH) and nickel-cadmium (Ni-Cd) batteries are commonly found in the cheaper models. They come in the AA or AAA battery size. Their affordable price makes them easy to replace.

Brightness

The unit of brightness is lumens. Usually, the range of lighting systems is between 100 to 3000 lumens for the various uses. It is good to find security lighting between the 300 to 800 lumens ranges for domestic usage.

Go for an LED bulb that generates three times the lumen output and hence greater brightness as compared to the incandescent bulbs. Pick lumens over wattage because the intensity of the light is of greater importance than the power of bulb here. The lumen rating of substandard quality systems might not be accurate.

Solar Panels

The three main things to notice in the solar panels are their wattage, size and type. The size of the solar panels defines how much the solar energy needs to be harnessed. The bigger the panels, the greater will the amount of solar energy stored.

Solar Energy

The solar panels come in the wattage range of 5 to 20 watts. The solar flood lights require upto 20 watts of solar panels to generate sufficient light from the stored solar energy.

These are the main things to consider before buying solar security lights.

Conclusion

A well-lit home comes at a price. But you can get one for free if you just utilize the solar energy right. Solar security light is the first step in the right direction. You go for the trusted high-quality models to obtain maximum benefits year after year as your home remains safe and sound.

Do you own a solar security light? How has your experience been with it till now? Are you planning to upgrade to an electrical security light already? Tell us in the comments below. Also, make sure that you pass on this important information to your friends and family by sharing this article on all your socials.

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