What are the advantages of solar landscape lighting?

• The installation is much easier than lighting that requires a transformer and cable.
• Because there are no cables, you can be flexible in the number of lights you place in your yard, as well as where you want to place them. You can place them in areas of your yard where cabled lights would be impractical or impossible. These include areas far away from your house, which is typically where you’d mount a transformer. (The further out a cable goes into a yard from the transformer, the weaker the current. This isn’t an issue with solar landscape lighting.)
• They’re energy efficient and environmentally friendly.

While most solar lights are single-piece lamps, some are available with the solar panel separate from the lamp itself. This configuration is so similar in wiring requirements to that of low voltage sets, it should be viewed as low voltage lighting with the same advantages and restrictions.

The key to solar lighting is the use of high-efficiency LED light sources. LEDs (with expected lifetimes of 10+ years) give a bright, cool light. The power requirements of incandescent bulbs used in the low voltage systems will deplete the charge of a solar battery too quickly to give all-night illumination. With current technology, if you wish to use solar lighting, you have to use LED light. There are many advantages to using LED lighting.

Check your state and local codes before starting any project. Follow all safety precautions. Every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy and safety of this information. Neither Westlake nor any contributor can be held responsible for damages or injuries resulting from the use of the information in this document.