Garden lights: solar-powered lights in landscaping

The beauty of a house depends not only on the architectural forms of the building, but also on the design of the adjacent territory. Landscape lighting is important from an aesthetic point of view. Recently, solar-powered street lights are gaining popularity, combining efficiency and attractive design. The purpose of such models is not only to provide an artificial light source, but also to decorate a summer cottage.

Solar powered garden lights are a great solution for those who don't want to mess with wiring conventional lighting fixtures.

The Role of Lighting in Garden Landscaping

Lighting in the garden is an important design element and an integral part of its overall image. High-quality lighting and its competent location create interesting accents, favorably emphasize the garden area and create a cozy atmosphere. With the help of lighting devices, you can freely navigate in the dark, as well as highlight the advantages and hide the disadvantages of the garden.

Garden lanterns serve to illuminate paths at night, and also serve as decorative elements on the site

The purpose of solar-powered lanterns for decorating a summer cottage or a country house can be functional and decorative. The main task of functional lighting is to create safe movement around a suburban area at night. This category includes lighting of garden paths, porches, stairs, fences and other traumatic places. In this case, LED lighting, incandescent lamps, halogen lamps or solar-powered lamps are used.

Compact lanterns will mark the contours of steps and uneven terrain in the dark, ensuring the safety of evening walks in the secluded corners of the garden

Garden decoration - LED garland suspended on a tree branch with balls glowing in the dark

Miniature lanterns in the shape of stones - during the day they practically do not attract attention, and at night they illuminate the paths in any color of your choice

The purpose of decorative lanterns is to provide light accents. This category includes lighting fixtures designed to decorate individual elements of the garden. For example, the illumination of a fountain, a reservoir, an alpine slide, flower beds, a gazebo, a lawn, sculptural compositions or trees. The complexity of decorative lamps in a garden landscape lies in the design solution, namely in the compatibility of the style of the device and its location.

Most often, self-powered luminaires are installed in places where it is too difficult or dangerous to lay ordinary wiring.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Solar Powered Lanterns and Luminaires

Solar-powered garden street lights are an advanced technology in lighting technology. These light sources are powered by daylight energy, which saves on electricity. They are comfortable and compact and can be placed anywhere in the garden.

During the day, garden lanterns “sleep”, accumulating solar energy and decorating the garden with their attractive appearance

With the arrival of darkness, the lanterns begin to glow softly, illuminating paths or plants

Like any home appliance, solar garden lights and fixtures have their pros and cons.

Main advantages:

• efficiency (built-in solar battery converts the sun's energy into electric current, which does not require connecting the device to the mains, and significantly reduces lighting costs);
• environmental friendliness (do not emit harmful substances);
• safety (work at any temperature, exclude electric shock);
• mobility (easy movement from one place to another);
• durability;
• unpretentious maintenance;
• can be used all year round;
• emphasize the style direction in the exterior;
• simple installation (autonomous operation does not require cable installation and connection to wires, which excludes emergencies);
• automatic mode of operation (there is no forced switching on and off of the device, built-in sensors independently control the mode of operation and shutdown);
• designed for installation anywhere (walls, soil, tree branches, etc.);
• a wide range of models (the assortment is represented by devices of different shapes, power, colors and designs).

The quickest way to create a spectacular garden sculpture light is to place solar-powered lanterns nearby.

Despite the numerous advantages, landscape lamps have some disadvantages:

• the dependence of the number of hours of operation on weather conditions (in the absence of the sun, the flashlight receives little energy, therefore, it takes more time to recharge);
• the complexity of the repair (the lamp batteries are difficult to repair, often faulty parts must be replaced);
• malfunction during the cold season (despite the fact that the permissible temperature range for normal functioning is from -50 to + 50 ° С, unstable operation may be observed in winter batteries);
• high cost of good quality flashlights (payback period is from 12 to 24 months);
• to fully charge the battery, the photocell panel must be in direct sunlight;
• due to low power, they are used only for decorative purposes (buying more powerful models is not the cheapest and most profitable option).

There are just a lot of options for creating attractive lighting using solar lamps, everything here depends only on the imagination of the owners of the site

The hermetic design of the bodies of such luminaires allows them to be installed in any conditions

Decorative options - which ones to choose?

Street lighting should be consistent with the overall concept of the site. For example, lamps with clear geometry or with round shades will perfectly emphasize a minimalist house. Tall, retro-style lanterns lined the paths and alleys fit perfectly into a regular garden. Lighting fixtures with forged finish will be relevant against the background of any objects.

Decorative crumb lanterns - the most varied in designs among solar-powered luminaires

You can choose a lamp in the form of a fairy gnome, animal or insect

Connoisseurs of minimalism will love the strict high-tech style flashlights

Modern garden lanterns are made in different shapes: traditional (in the shape of a ball) and non-standard, with precise elements or smooth and strict lines. All of them differ not only in design, but in the size and direction of the luminous flux.

A motion-sensor wall lamp is one of the popular stand-alone lighting options. The only difficulty in using it is that it can work normally only on the sunny side of a fence or wall.

For romantic table lighting in gazebos or on the terrace, lamps in glass jars are perfect. You can make such a flashlight with your own hands by taking components from a factory lamp.

The most common solar-powered lamps for a summer residence or a country house:

• Lanterns-bollards. Models, as a rule, have a small height (1-1.5 m). Illuminate a space ranging from 3 to 5 sq. M. Suitable for decorating lawns, garden paths, parking areas and other landscape elements.
  

  Pole lanterns can be made in a minimalist design or in the form of antique semi-antique lamps

• Park. They resemble a classic lantern. Their height is no more than 2 m. The shape of the plafonds is, as a rule, geometric. More often they arrange a recreation area with benches or a small alley consisting of a group of shrubs and trees.
  

  Park lamps are equipped with solid-capacity batteries and provide sufficiently bright lighting

• Garland lamps. Looks harmoniously in a gazebo or recreation area. They are used to decorate bridges, fountains, garden sculptures. Garlands with an imitation of rain or a mesh effect are used for original decoration.
  

  LED garden garlands are available in a wide variety of designs

• Floating. They do not require installation, the lights move freely on the surface of the pond or pool, beautifully illuminating the water surface.
  

  Floating lights will be a spectacular addition to your garden pond

• Lawn. Miniature luminaires used to illuminate flower beds, lawns and side paths.
  

  To install the lawn lamp in the right place, you just need to stick it with a sharp tip into the ground

• Embedded (point). They are mounted on the ceiling of the terrace, the facade of the house, steps, sides of the pool or along the paths.
  

  Luminaires with durable brick-shaped glass fit directly into the garden path

Landscape solar lanterns in the shape of animals, birds, fairy-tale characters, or flowers are popular in modern garden design. Models in the form of Japanese lanterns or Indian deities are widespread.

Solar Powered Flower Shaped Lawn Lights

Flashlight jar with solar battery in the lid

Garden lanterns with Murano glass shades

Conclusion

The lighting in the garden must be carefully planned to match the style of the entire site. Correctly selected decorative lighting can transform the landscape of the site into an interesting art object.

Video: Review of inexpensive LED lamps for flower beds and lawns

Photo of solar-powered garden lamps