New technologies are a topic of conversation for many people who are somehow interested in various innovations. The same can be said about the solar street lamp, which was a complete fantasy a few decades ago. Now they can be found not only in the houses of famous personalities, but also in ordinary citizens who want to change their home with the help of this type of lighting.
Features
A street lamp on solar batteries can be of the most different shapes and with all kinds of technical characteristics. They can also differ in the shape of the ceiling, which can be round, square, cylinder-shaped, etc. The lamps themselves can be completely autonomous, or be located on various supports and brackets, depending on the configuration. There is also a difference in the number of lighting elements used in the design. However, all these differences concern only minor characteristics, while the main points remain the same in all types of lamps. That is, the so-called “filling” is the same for everyone.
The most important part of the lantern is the solar battery itself, which is located at the top of the structure. According to its type, it is of two types: silicon and film. There is a battery in the device, which ensures the operation of the lamp, which is charged from sunlight or from the alternating current network. There is also a special voltage converter responsible for the operation of the LEDs in the structure.
The solar-powered lamp turns on in autonomous mode immediately after dusk. During its period of inactivity, it gains a charge from sunlight produced during the day. The light source is one or more LEDs with a power of slightly more than 0.05W. Such a charge is enough for almost twelve hours of work.
It is worth noting that the completely hermetic design of such lamps makes them very resistant to various precipitations and temperature changes. Functioning does not stop at temperatures from -50C to +50C.
The lamp can be made of a variety of materials, including bamboo, rattan, glass, etc. Depending on the configuration, it can be equipped with a remote control system , which allows full control of lighting. All parts of the unit itself and its supports are made of materials with an anti-corrosion effect.
Advantages and disadvantages of using solar lamps
Like any other light source, a solar lamp has its pros and cons, which affect the buyer’s final choice.
The main advantages of such lamps:
- The operation of the unit on solar batteries does not require electricity in principle, which in itself is a considerable saving of money.
- Lamps on solar batteries have a relatively long service life, on average – up to one thousand switches.
- Installation does not require a large investment of money and additional actions to ensure wiring or grounding.
- A completely autonomous system of operation – the device turns itself on and off, depending on the time of day.
- The light emitted by such sources has a very soft radiation that is not harmful to the human eye.
- Lamps with solar batteries are completely safe to use, because there is no contact with electricity.
- Such lamps are resistant to dust and moisture.
- The richness of the assortment in the selection of units with solar batteries allows you to correctly fit them into any interior, in any house.
Solar energy as a light source for such lamps is a completely environmentally friendly energy.
The main disadvantages of lamps with solar batteries:
- Rather narrow focus – their power is not enough for full illumination of large areas and streets. They act as an additional light source that emphasizes the entire interior.
- Dependence on the season and weather conditions. In winter, due to the small amount of solar energy, such lamps work much worse than in summer. The same can be said about rainy weather – at such a time, the radiation level of solar-powered devices will be very dim.
- Lamps on solar batteries should be installed only in places where there is plenty of sunlight, which significantly reduces the area of their application.
Installation features
Before choosing one or another lamp on solar batteries, you need to carefully study the labeling on the package. Special attention should be paid to the IP index, which indicates the degree of protection of the lamp against dust and moisture. Naturally, the higher this value is, the better.
Then you should think about the location of the “lighthouse” on your territory. Obviously, you need to choose a place where light actively enters, because in a darkened place it simply will not be able to charge properly.
The installation itself does not require special skills, because during their installation there is no contact with the electrical network. Depending on the configuration, there is also a different method of installing such lamps, for example, there is a way to directly stick them into the ground.
Types and areas of application
The use of this type of lamps, most often, is due to the fact that in some places there is no possibility of conducting an underground electrical network that provides power for light sources. These devices work on solar batteries, although they cannot fully illuminate some areas, but they can advantageously emphasize and mark individual elements of the interior. In particular, they are used to illuminate pools, flower beds, paths, terraces and much more. In general, the use of such lamps will directly depend on their varieties.
There are several types of solar lights:
- Wall-mounted with a solar battery. Installed on various vertical surfaces, taking into account the fact that sunlight falls on it during the day.
- Park. A very massive design that can work for four days without additional recharging. Their field of application is bus stops, parks, pedestrian crossings, etc.
- Garden on a solar battery. Such lamps are installed, as a rule, along the terraces and paths located on the site. It is located on a leg, the length of which can reach one meter.
- Lamps for lawns. They are used to illuminate flower beds and lawns on the site. They do not require installation, because they are not of a stationary type, and they can be easily moved around the perimeter.
- Devices with decorative elements. Such lamps perform not only the lighting function, but also the function of additional decoration on the site. Basically, they are used to illuminate bushes and trees.
Thanks to a special device, LED lights on solar batteries are not able to illuminate the entire territory of the site, but they can advantageously emphasize the stylistic decisions of the yard or the facade of the building. Naturally, the brightness and scale of lighting will directly depend on the size of such lamps.