Solar Powered Lights: How effective?

[M&P777]

Backing out of our driveway at night without ending up in the ditch is a bit of a challenge (no streetlights). The push-in-the-ground reflectors we already have, but they don't reflect much light from the family van's tail lights. I've wondered if those solar powered lights that you simply push into the ground work well. Running an underground line out to the end of the drive is not cost effective. Do any forum members have experience with the solar units?

If there are other possible solutions for marking the edge of the drive at night, let me know. Thanks for any response.

 

[Aussie44]

They are Good...But make sure you get the good ones .I had my stolen 2 weeks after I put them in.


Ken

 

[tom turner]

FOOD FOR THOUGHT . . .

Here are the components of the standard solar powered light . . . then kind that you simply push in the ground:

1. A solar cell on top

2. A single rechargable AA Nicad battery

3. A small controller board

4. An LED light

5. A photoresistor to detect darkness

6. A plastic housing with a plastic stake on the bottom


HOW BRIGHT ARE THEY?

As bright as a "AA" battery can light up an LED bulb IF the battery is fully charged! Think of it this way . . . how bright would a tiny flashlight with one AA battery be if you took it's little LED light out of the reflector and let its light go out in a 360 degree pattern?

ANOTHER CONCERN . . .
During the night the rechargeable battery will run down and the light will go out, making it less risky for the entitlement crowd to steal the light . . . AND less risky for the thugs to steal other things too!


The Nicad batteries last a claimed two years or so, then you must replace those polluting Nicad batteries with more, relatively expensive rechargeable and polluting Nicad batteries.

The real life of a Nicad battery sitting inside a humid hunk of cheap plastic, a few inches off the ground, should be much less!


Oh yeah . . . in a pinch you can use regular AA batteries to light your single LED bulb should your Nicads fail to charge and you have a party to put on that night! These things ain't high tech, that's for sure.


PROS . . .

1. Easy to set up

2. Easy to steal by the "entitlement" crowd

3. Easy to set up

4. Easy to steal by the "entitlement" crowd

5. Easy to set up

6. Easy to steal . . .


CONS . . .

Ummm . . . I think I listed 'em above


Nawwww . . .

After checking out their light output and projected expenses, I took mine back to the "Big Orange" big box store and I'm sticking to my non-poluting hardwired, low voltage system!!!


IMHO, it is worth it to have 7 watt - 21 watt BRIGHT bulbs, driven by a fairly economical transformer in my garage. Heck, that transformer is now over 25 years old and still going strong . . . and the lighting it puts out makes the yard safer AND more secure . . . for family, yard, cars and home!

ENERGY SAVING? Yep, I've got the system on a timer that turns 'em on at sunset, and off at dawn . . . giving me maximum security and illumination safety when it is needed!

T.

 

[sipowicz]

Mine only work in bright sunlight.

 

[Mickey D]

I recommend going with nuclear. They glow real well 24/7

 

[Iggy]

They don't stay lit all night, and they crap out eventually if they don't get swiped.

 

[Capt Steve]

I have had good results with the ones that come with a separate solar collector, about 10" square. The lights, usually 3 or 4 to a package have 20-30' cords that plug into the collector. They last all night and put out a decent amount of light. I have one set in the back yard that spotlight 3 of our trees nicely.

 

[nicky4968]

Maybe a little white paint, like a "fog line," around the bottom edge of your driveway?

 

[Spotteddog]

I can't tell what your geographic location is? The further south you are (in winter time) the more effective they'll be. The more sun days per year your area has, the more effective. The larger the collector and rechargeable battery suite the set up runs, the longer they'll work. The thing everyone forgets is the colder the area gets the less effective the battery set up will be. You may wish to look into a set up that uses either a photo cell or motion detector, or both to operate? But rather than being run off of individual solar array's, I'd get a set that operated on low volt D/C. That way only 1 outlet is being used for a very low amp draw transformer to power the low volt D/C string of lighting? It isn't necessary to run conduit to bury the power lead to each fixture, because it's low volt. Merely a good deep strike with a straight blade spade or scraper will cut far enough down to keep the D/C power line below your mower deck. You just drag up enough line to reach each individual fixture. If your using a transformer and low volt D/C you'd have to run the system a long, LONG time, to equal the extra initial expense of multiples of solar? Oh yeah, I tried running them (solar) in Seattle and given the heavy cloud cover and short daylight in winter they worked pretty well. But, they were on a motion detector only, and they had a timed shutoff after 90 seconds to save the battery? When the rechargeable battery failed (which they do frequently) I went to the low volt system. And apart from changing the occasional automotive style bulb, zero trouble. In fact, I was so pleased with it, that I now use them across the entire rear of the house under the eaves. 14 lights driven off of 1 transformer, with wiring hung along cup hooks.
Just an option?