Does your search history have “solar lights outdoor” already? We can’t blame you. As soon as the ber-months roll in, a lot of people start getting excited about the holiday season. Many shops are also prepping their Christmas shopping items, including decorations like solar Christmas lights.
Lately, solar power has become popular in holiday decorative lights. Solar lights outdoor are in almost every shop-you can get bunnings solar lights outdoor, Kmart solar lights, and so on. The online shopping field is also keeping up with the trend with numerous outdoor solar lights suggestions you can get in a single Google search.
Solar lights offer an eco-friendly and cost-effective way for those who want to light up their home in time for Christmas. It's renewable energy plus, you won't have to depend on the mains power to top off your lights too. Simply pair them with a good set of solar panels-usually portable solar panels-and these will effectively charge the rechargeable battery inside your solar lights for use in the evening.
Here at Outbax, we have a vast collection of solar outdoor Christmas lights plus different types of solar panels for sale. Whether you want solar icicle lights or solar garden lights, you can find something here that will easily turn your outdoor space holiday-ready!
Can You Use Regular AA or AAA Batteries in Solar Lights Outdoor?
Using your typical AA or AAA batteries to power solar lights is not recommended especially for long periods. These are alkaline batteries and are designed to be disposed of as soon as they run out of juice. They are not suitable for recharging as they derive energy from zinc metal and manganese reaction, unlike power packs for solar outdoor lights that generate stored power from the sun with the help of solar panels.
You need rechargeable batteries to run your solar lights outdoor efficiently, particularly NiCd (Nickel Cadmium) or NiMH (Nickel Metal Hydride). Fortunately, these are not difficult to find in most local battery stores. Of the two, NiMH is the better choice mostly because it can store twice more solar energy compared to NiCD batteries plus it also doesn't have a memory effect. This means a longer overall lifespan and extended periods of use for your solar outdoor lights.
Batteries for solar powered lights usually last around 1-2 years. If you want to maximise this, better use the correct power pack for them and invest in quality instead of going for cheap batteries with inferior performance. Also, using regular alkaline batteries can cause serious damage to your entire outdoor solar lighting system. Generally, they can be used as a substitute for solar light batteries but only for a maximum period of one week to avoid irreversible effects.
Below are some of the most common problems you may encounter using incorrect batteries for solar outdoor lights:
Corrosion
Powering solar lights outdoor with regular batteries will cause rapid discharging which will then corrode your battery terminals. This will result in inefficient performance and eventually, damage to the entire power pack.
System Failure
Corrosion leads to complete system failure since it can reach into your light's internal mechanics including the circuit board and wirings. Alkaline batteries are also unable to store collected charge which will cause charging problems and damage your entire lighting setup.
Warranty Cancellation
Warranty coverage is only available for damages incurred even after following the manufacturer's instructions. You risk your warranty cancellation for issues springing from your end, including the use of incorrect batteries.
Unreliable Performance
You can't expect a smooth performance with an unsuitable battery. It's always better to avoid issues such as flickering lights and sudden power drains in your decorative lights and opt for the proper way of powering your solar Christmas decors instead.
How Long Do Solar Lights Outdoor Stay Lit?
The runtime of your solar lights outdoor is largely dependent on your charging process. Meanwhile, your charging time is also dependent on how much sunlight you receive so if you want to power your lights for a good number of hours, make sure it's fully topped off. Better yet, charge it a day or two before using them to ensure a 100% state of charge especially if the current weather conditions don't allow for efficient, single-day solar charging.
Another factor you have to look at is the type of solar lights you have. There are tons of outdoor solar lighting you can arrange together such as solar deck lights, solar pathway lights, solar sensor lights, and more. These vary in terms of operating hours, often falling between 4 to 12 hours with an average of 8.5 hours in full charge.
If you want to be more specific, solar path and accent lighting like outdoor solar fairy lights typically last longer with an average of 9.8 hours of runtime. Hanging and lamp-style solar lights such as solar rope lights can mostly be used for around 7.3 hours before requiring a recharge.
The difference between these intervals is also related to the placement of your solar panels-at times, ground-level panels have better sunlight exposure compared to other mounted devices' solar panels which can be shaded by other objects as the day progresses.
What Are the Most Energy-Efficient Solar Lights Outdoor?
If you’re after efficiency, you can never go wrong with LED solar outdoor Christmas lights. LED lights use up to 80 or 90 per cent less energy compared to conventional incandescent lights. They also win in terms of lifespan too, lasting for 100,000 hours which is a significant difference from regular Christmas lights' 30,000 hours of service life.
Curious about how much you can save when you opt for LED Christmas lights? Well if you have a medium-sized outdoor space with a moderate amount of incandescent lights-say 10 solar string lights, a few twinkling wreaths, and a couple of lighted garlands, this could generate up to 635W compared to when you use an all-LED display of the same amount, which would draw around 96W only.
If you want to go all out and have a massive Christmas light display in your entire household, going for LED lights could reduce your energy bills by several hundred dollars, so you get to flaunt your holiday display without worrying too much about the cost!
There are other methods you can try to help control your energy consumption this coming Christmas. For instance, you can pair your solar lights outdoor with timers to limit the time they'll be lit up and automatically power off after the time frame you have set.
Now that you know the benefits of solar LED lights, why not start shopping for your outdoor solar lights early? This way, you won't have to deal with out-of-stock items caused by the holiday shopping rush! Visit Outbax today for a massive range of LED solar Christmas lights including motif lights, solar string lights, and more!
Since the holidays are also the best time to enjoy the outdoors, you might want to look at our available camping gear as well. We have a section for lithium batteries and inverter generators here plus outdoor leisure items like spas for the whole family to enjoy. We're all for making the most out of your Christmas breaks, so shop now and enjoy great prices + free shipping!
- Corrosion
- System Failure
- Warranty Cancellation
- Unreliable Performance
