The Pros and Cons of Solar Lighting

Anyone who reads the headlines or watches the news will already be well aware of the fact that the environment is in trouble. This is due to many factors, but among the biggest contributors to the world’s problems is energy consumption. One of the most significant ways in which energy is consumed is through electricity. Human beings need a constant supply of electrical energy, and the means of making it and delivering it into the billions of homes around the world has taken a huge toll on the planet.

Luckily there are clever people who have designed all kinds of alternative energy products, and one of the most popular of these products is solar lighting. Solar lighting fixtures come in an amazing array of styles and designs. They can be put to use within the interior of a home or garage as well as all around a property.

There are a few “pros and cons” where they are concerned, and generally the “pros” far outweigh the “cons”. Let’s consider the downside of solar lighting first. Currently, the majority of solar lighting fixtures rely on LED bulbs. These are supremely durable bulbs that offer an average life span of roughly sixty to one hundred thousand hours each. They are also impervious to freezing conditions, water and even impact or strong blows.

This means they are the ideal solution for an outdoor fixture, but where they don’t always satisfy the user is in their brightness. LED bulbs must be clustered together to obtain a brightness similar to a standard fluorescent bulb. There are currently many companies who are able to manufacture such fixtures as spot and flood lights using LED bulbs, so this means that the only real “con” to solar lighting is going to be eliminated within the next few years.

The many pros of solar lighting include its wide applicability, efficiency and ease of installation. There are gorgeous exterior fixtures for gardens and porches, there are utilitarian fixtures that provide excellent interior lighting in a shed or garage, there are even security lights with motion sensors or those with built in detectors for dusk and dawn.

Additionally, solar outdoor lighting saves tons of money and energy because it requires absolutely no hardwiring to an electrical supply of any kind. While reducing her carbon footprint, the owner is also saving hundreds of dollars on electrical services each year as well. Finally, solar lighting fixtures are remarkably easy to install and require very basic tools and skills to put almost anywhere in a home or business.