How Solar Outdoor Lights Work

There are several methods that can be used when you are seeking to light the outside of your home, which include solar outdoor lights as one of the options. Understanding how the lights work can help you to determine why they might suit your purposes and what benefits they can provide.

Purpose

Solar outdoor lights make use of technology that allows them to gather and store the energy provided by the sunlight during the day. The energy is converted so that light can be provided when night falls. This type of light is ideal for use outside the home as they require little maintenance and will always provide light when it is required. The light will look no different from any other type of light in the market and can come in a range of different designs. Due to the nature of the lights, they do not need to comprise any cables which will make them easier to move about and place wherever they are required.

Solar Cell

The way that solar outdoor lights gather the energy from the sunlight is by way of solar cells. These small devices tend to be fitted directly beneath the glass/clear plastic cover of the light, which enables it to gather the most amount of energy. This means that it is necessary to ensure that the light is directly in the path of the sun’s rays for as long as possible, which will make for a light that lasts through the night. In addition, it is common to use several solar cells within one light to create a more powerful result as each cell only produces 0.45 volts.  

Battery  

The energy that is collected during the daylight hours is converted into current so that it can charge the battery that is part of every light. The battery is necessary to store the power before providing it to make the light work. A diode connects the solar cells to the battery so that there is a direct link between the two components, which ensures that the maximum amount of power can be obtained. A standard Ni-cad battery is suitable for this purpose. Most batteries are able to hold a charge that will allow the light to work for up to 10 hours. However, the length of time that the light shines does depend on the amount of sunlight that the solar cells were subject to.   

Photoresistor

When night falls, the solar cells stop doing what they do as there is no source of energy for them to collect. Instead, the photoresistor comes into play as this is a sensor that detects when it is dark enough to warrant the use of the solar outdoor lights. This creates a situation where the light switches on and off automatically so that no energy is wasted and a manual switch is not necessary.

Controller Board

All the separate components of the solar outdoor lights are connected with the use of a controller board, which links them all together to create a circuit.